The Beginnings Saga: Complete Novel, Vol 1
by Agent66
Summary: Here it is, folks! The completed first volume of the Beginnings saga. Stories 1-5 can be found here, as well as little extras for you loyal fans! *DELETED SCENES PART 2 NOW UP!!!*
1. Introduction

Introduction

  


Hello and welcome! This is the start of my giant novel, the Beginnings Saga. This novel is compprised of all five stories in this saga, with some extra stuff at the end. If this is your first time reading, let me give you some background. I wrote the first story in this saga, A Mainframe's Summer Nightmare during the summer of 2001. It's a season 5 fic that features a teenaged Enzo Matrix, as he's about to graduate the Guardian Academy. All the gang is here, with the new characters of Christopher "Kit" Lan, who is the son of Bob and Dot and Sabrina Matrix, the daughter of Matrix and AndrAIa. Also featured is Alexandria Hewlett, who is Enzo's love interest. In this story, the Matrix brothers face a blast from the past a an old enemy resurfaces.   
In the second story, entitled Bytes of Passage, Enzo is about to graduate from the Academy and has his 18th birthday. Featured are the characters from the previous story. In the third installment, Memories Are Made of This, the Matrix siblings face a apert of their past they had tried so desperately to hide from others and themselves. Throw in some bugs and an unruly guardian cadet and the Mainframe Staff get a lot on their hands. Featured in this story are the return of Mouse and Ray. Kit and Sabrina are older and have siblings, Jet and Nikki (Kit's twin siblings) and Chip (Bri's younger brother) And I had to add my two favorite bots, Hack and Slash. In the fourth installment, is where the saga gets it's name. The Beginnings Arcs (1-4) are just that. Beginnings. The first arc explores most of what the series gave us, with some more insight into specfic things. Season 4 of Reboot had come out while I was working on Memories, so I decided to at least go with the first movie, that being Daemon Rising, of the fourth season. That is the only reference of S4 that I do use.   
In the second arc, we get a glimpse into the beginnings of Kit's life in the Christopher Lan Story (like behind the music). The third arc is also like this, instead forcusing on the life of Sabrina, in the Sabrina Matrix Story. The fourth arc takes place shortly after Memories Are made of This. I got a lot of feedback from people who wanted to see the return of Bob's father take place after the Matrix had dealt with their family past. The last storyy for this novel, is the fifth story, Survival of the Fittest. Newly completed at the time of this intro, just when the Mainframers thought they could have some peace and quiet, it's all shattered when Kit is kidnapped from school and forced to partake in dangerous fighting competition. A new character, though mostly recognized from his appearance in the third arc, is Roscoe Bettoskin, a friend who Kit befriends and who has some special feelings towards his cousin.   
At the time of this intro (Wednesday night of Apr. 24th, 2002), a sixth story entitled, Elemental Force, was pushing its way through my head and on to my computer screen. This story will deal with the powers of the sprite children in Mainframe as well as a power hungry virus who wants his mits on it. So far, that's all I got, but I LOVE feedback and ideas (as most of you know) Anyway, here comes my thanks: A big wonderful thanks to Julia Cat, with whom's html I used and edited in order to bring you this. For the unabridge version of the series, as well as more stories from me and other wonderful writers, visit her site at http://www.rbcorner.com Another big thanks goes to Dan Green, who's first two stories inspired Mainframe's Summer Nightmare, and use of his nightmare is also used. He was also wonderful at helping me in the third arc of the Beginnings Arcs. Other big thanks goes to my many reviewers here on fanfiction.net: Claire Hunter, Water Mist, Trisanna McGraw, Brenren, you-know-who, Ross&Bri4eva (a big thanks for getting your screen name from my story!), Trance, Meo, Naoko...what can I say? If I forgot you, you know who you are. I just have to say, Thanks. You girls were the ones who wrote review after review, gave me ideas for chapters or even stories and...blah! 

This is for you guys. 

If you have read this for the billionth time, I have added some deleted/added scenes just for you. Deleted scenes were the ones I wanted to write in to one of the stories and either forgot or didn't think it would fit or thought twice about it. The added scenes where ones I thought would be good at a certain and that had just come to me as I revised the saga. Those little extras are for my many many fans and readers. And no story of mine is complete without the... 

**Disclaimer: **Everybody now! I do not own...not making money...these characters are mine...poor college student...have trouble getting lunch. These stories are in the PG-13 area, even though I'm sure some chapters are very G, others are not. reader discretion is advised. 

WebMistressGina 


	2. A Mainframe Summer's Nightmare

A Mainframe's Summer Nightmare   
  
**** ****

**Chapter 1 - A Summer in Mainframe**

It was lovely summer day in the system of Mainframe. Binomes and Sprites scurried along to work or to summer activities. At Floating Point Park, a young green-skinned sprite about 1.7 hours old stood in a stance and was flipping a football in his hands. He wore black sneakers, white socks, and black jean shorts. He was topless on this day, only to show off the fact that he'd been working out lately. His icon was placed firmly on his belt buckle and it was the gold and black colors of a guardian. 

"One more touchdown and the game's tied," the sprite said, grinning at another who stood in his way. Another green sprite stood his ground. He was muscular and wore black boots with black pants. He, too, was without a shirt. 

"You gotta get past me first." the large sprite replied, with a smirk on his face. The two got down and the hike was called. The younger sprite was instantly tackled to the ground by the larger and the two wrestled in thegrass for a while, not aware of the lovely sprite who had walked over. 

"I thought you two were playing football!" AndrAIa remarked, hoisting the small sprite higher in her arms. 

The two green sprites stopped to look at the Game Sprite. AndrAIa Matrix was a lovely sight to see. She had tan skin, and long aqua marine hair, that was now tied in a ponytail. She was dressed in a cute blue sundress that matched her eyes. 

The two green sprites smiled as they got up. "Hi AndrAIa," said the larger one, walking over to plant a kiss on her cheek. 

"Hi Dre," said the smaller one, also standing and walking over. 

"Daddy!" cried the little bundle in her arms. 

"Hello, sweetie," Matrix said, kissing his daughter on the forehead. She looked exactly like her mother, but had her father's temper. 

"Zo!" the girl cried, reaching out to the smaller sprite. 

"There's my princess!" he replied, taking the girl from her mother and swinging her around. 

"Play! Play!" the girl giggled. 

The young sprite put the girl down. "Okay, but you better run!" 

This was the way Enzo Matrix loved to spend his summers. He always looked forward to coming home to Mainframe during his breaks from the Guardian Academy. And he had a very good reason to enjoy this summer. He was a junior now, about to start his last year at the Academy and his 1.8 birthday would be coming up soon as well. He couldn't ask for a better summer. Here he was, running around Floating Point chasing after his 4 hour niece whom he loved dearly, on the verge of graduation from the Academy, his biggest dream, and spending time at the park with his older brother and his sister-in-law. But of course, with any activities involving a small sprite, the two quickly tired and decided on a rest. Matrix had come back from throwing away their trash from the picnic AndrAIa had brought, only to find her resting comfortably against a tree and his brother's head in his wife's lap. 

"Hey." he said, staring down his younger brother. 

"Hey to you too, bro," Enzo replied, looking up. 

"I guess it would be pointless for me to tell you to move," Matrix said, taking a seat next to AndrAIa. 

"Pretty much," Enzo retorted, placing a black cabbie hat over his eyes. 

AndrAIa took the moment to rest her head on Matrix's shoulder, before he moved to put his arm around her. 

_ This is perfect_, he thought. Matrix had gone through so much, so fast. Sometimes he couldn't believe things were actually going _right_ this time. Bob had survived the Web, to come back to Enzo's sister, Dot. Matrix, AndrAIa, and their dog Frisket had survived game-hopping to come back to Mainframe. He had come to grips with the reality that the sprite he called his brother was in fact his younger self, a back-up copy caused by Mainframe's restart. They had fought and ridden themselves of Megabyte. They had fought and destroyed the super virus Daemon. Oh, he knew there were still people who wanted vengence on him and Bob and Enzo and everyone who helped in the virus' destruction. But that was in the back of his mind. After everything he'd gone through, everything his family, his friends, his system went through, things were finally back to normal. 

"You're thinking again," came a voice. Matrix knew what she going to say, about him thinking too much. "What're you thinking about?" 

"You." he said, playing with her ponytail. 

"I'm flattered." AndrAIa replied, snuggling deeper against him. 

"Just thinking about how nice it is to be home," Matrix said, his eyes still closed. 

"I agree," AndrAIa said, smiling up him. "So instead of analyzing it, Lover, just enjoy it." 

He smiled. He had known she would say that. 

* * * 

He had done it. He couldn't believe it, but he had done it. Bob had finally gotten Dot away from the Principal Office, away from her office, and had gotten her outside. He knew her job as Command.Com would keep her pretty busy, but even Phong had taken a second off at _one_ point in his life. So here they were, at Floating Point Park, taking a stroll on one of the paths. 

"See?" Bob said, putting his arm around her shoulders. "This isn't so bad, right?" 

Dot smiled up at her husband. She knew she should probably be working on _something_, but even she had to admit it was a beautiful second out. She gave Bob a peck on the cheek and put her arms around his waist. "I gotta admit, Mr. Lan, it is a beautiful second out and I'm glad you stole me away." 

"Of course you are," Bob quipped, stealing a quick kiss. 

As they came up to a hill, they could see Matrix leaning against a tree. Upon closer inspection, they noticed AndrAIa leaning against him, Enzo's head rested comfortably on her lap, his cap covering his eyes, and little Sabrina was fast asleep on top of him, her head resting on his chest. 

"Expected to find you guys here," Bob said, causing Martix to open his eyes. 

"I can't believe it." he replied, rather sleepily. 

"What?" Dot asked. "That we expected to see you guys here?" 

"No," Matrix said. "That Bob actually got you away from the Principal Office." AndrAIa stiffled a laugh as she opened her eyes. 

"Ha, ha." Dot replied, sarcastically. "Yes, that is _very_ funny." 

AndrAIa placed her hand on top of Enzo's cap. "Enzo." she said, shaking his head slightly. She removed the cap, placed it on her own head, and resumed trying to wake the youth. "Enzo." she said again, running her fingers through his hair. 

"What?" he responded sleepily. 

"Enzo." 

"What?" Enzo said, a little rougher and louder than before. 

"Guess who's here." 

"I don't know," Enzo replied, still trying to get back to sleep. 

"C'mon, guess," AndrAIa urged. 

"I don't know!" Enzo exclaimed, the sentence coming out more like a whine than anything else. "And I really don't..." Enzo reached to pull his cap over his eyes, when he realized it wasn't there. He turned to face AndrAIa, opening his eyes and seeing his cap on her head. "Can I have my cap back?" 

"Well, he never was an early riser," Dot remarked. 

Enzo turned his head and finally noticed Bob and Dot. "I don't believe it," he said. 

"What?" Dot asked. "That you've never been an early riser?" 

"No. That Bob finally got you away from your office." Bob and AndrAIa started to laugh, much to Dot's annoyance. 

"Well, I'm glad I can give you all such enjoyment with my duties as Command.Com." she retorted. 

"I could go for an energy shake." Bob spoke up. "Who's with me?" 

"Me." Matrix replied, moving his arm and standing. 

AndrAIa started to follow, but couldn't because of Enzo. "Enzo, I can't get up if you don't get off me," she said. 

"Well, I can't get up if Sabrina isn't off of me." the youth replied. 

"I'll take her." Matrix went over to pick up the girl, who stirred slightly as she was moved. 

"You can take her over to the P.O. you guys." Dot said, getting her zip board ready. "Phong can watch her. He's watching Mike as we speak." 

"Sure," Enzo said jokingly. "Let's give him _more_ kids to play with." He then realized something and turned back to AndrAIa. "Hey! When am I getting my cap back?" 

"You'll have to catch me first." she said, sprinting off, with Enzo right behind her. 

* * * After getting Enzo's cap back, Enzo, Dot, and Bob were seated in a booth at the diner. Dot and Bob had already had their energy shakes, but Enzo was impatienly waiting for his third. "Enzo, you're drinking those things like water!" Bob chuckled as Enzo's third energy shake was finally brought to the table. 

"A growing Guardian needs his strength, Bob." the young sprite replied, before drinking the whole thing down in one gulp. "Hmm, think I'll have another." 

_ Well, we certainly can't call him Little Enzo anymore,_ Dot thought happily. She was finally able to watch her younger brother grow up, or at least his copy, anyway. She'd missed her chance to see Matrix and AndrAIa grow, so she was glad when the restart had caused another Enzo. Now she had two brothers, whom she loved dearly. She still couldn't believe Enzo would be a full fledged guardian in another year. He was getting bigger; he was only a few inches away from seeing Matrix eye to eye, and he was growing up. Dot thanked the User just about every second for another chance at things she had skipped before things went terribly wrong. Enzo was growing up and this time she'd been there to see it. He was starting to look more and more like their father. Both he and Matrix did. Enzo was commited to wearing only summer clothes. He was still dressed in his black shorts, but was not sporting a white t-shirt with a black vest on top of it and of course, his black cabbie hat, which he always wore backwards. She remembered when Matrix had bought that cap for his 1.6 birthday, after he and Matrix had been involved in an old ganster pool hall game and Enzo's character had worn a hat that was similiar. But Dot liked seeing Enzo without the hat; he had nice hair. It was black, with the sides slightly shaded and a thin braided ponytail hanging from behind. He was probably swamped by the girls at the Academy, though that secret was only shared between he, Matrix, and AndrAIa. 

Enzo was now drinking a fifth energy shake, when he saw something out the Diner window. He instantly stopped drinking, put his shake down, and rushed to stand in front of the door. Bob and Dot enchanged quizzical glances before Dot spotted Matrix and AndrAIa heading for the Diner. 

"Dinner says he doesn't even knock the guy down," Bob said, grinning at Dot. 

"You're on." Dot replied, as they both turned to watch the scene. 

Matrix and AndrAIa had been talking about something as they walked through the door. "So I think..." Matrix had been saying before something plowed into him, knocking him to the floor. 

"I did it!" Enzo exclaimed, hovering over his brother. "I did it! Did you see that?" Enzo leaped up and threw his hands in the air. "I knocked him right on his bitmap! After hours and hours of trying to do that, I finally did it. I can't wait to see the big sprite's face when he..." As Enzo turned around to face the door, Matrix plowed into him, knocking _him_ to the floor. The two wrestled around on the floor while AndrAIa chuckled and went to join Bob and Dot in the booth. 

Dot was smiling at Bob and said, "So, do I get to pick the place and time?" 

Matrix finally got Enzo in a headlock and was applying pressure to the boy's neck. "Say User." he said, breathlessly. 

"Never." Enzo taunted, trying to wiggle out of the hold. 

"Say it." Matrix started to apply more pressure, causing Enzo to concede. 

"Alright, alright! User! User!" 

Matrix let the youth go, stepped over him, and headed for the booth the rest of the group sat. But Enzo wasn't going to take this laying down on the floor of the Diner. He came up and jumped Matrix from behind, jumping on his back, causing Matrix to topple over and the two started to wrestle again. 

"Alright, that's enough of that!" Dot charged, stopping the two men rolling around on the floor. 

"Your sister's talking to you," Enzo said, pushing Matrix away from him. 

"What've I told you two about wrestling in the Diner?" Dot was now in big sister mode, which could spell trouble for the Matrix boys. 

"Sorry, Dot," replied the younger. 

"Yeah, sorry Dot," replied Matrix. "Why are you always getting me in trouble?" Matrix said, pushing Enzo slightly. 

"You started it." Enzo said, pushing back. " 

"**You** started it!" 

"Stop!" Dot said, unable to stop herself from grinning. She was so happy with how the two of them had bonded over the last couple of hours. 

"Will the two of you sit down and stop causing trouble?" AndrAIa said. 

Matrix relented and sat down next to her. Enzo reached over and took a slurp of his shake. "You're just mad cause I put the hurt on you." he replied, speaking to his older self. "I slammed you right on your..." 

"Enzo!" Dot exclaimed. "Language." 

"Put the hurt on my ASCII." Matrix muttered. 

"Matrix!" 

"What?" Matrix replied, innocently looking at his sister. 

"Language." Enzo grinned. 

**WARNING: INCOMING GAME! WARNING: INCOMING GAME!**

"This day just gets better and better." Enzo said, gulping down the last of his shake. He quickly tapped his icon and changed into his guardian uniform. "Who's going with me?" 

"Let the Destruction Crew handle this." AndrAIa said, as she and Matrix followed Enzo out the door. 

Bob watched them zip away towards the foreboding purple cube that was descending. He then turned to Dot, who was oddly quiet. "He looked nice, didn't he?" he asked, as though reading her mind about Enzo. 

"Oh, Bob, he's compiling up so fast." Dot sighed. "But at least I was able to watch him this time around." 

"You're a great sister to both of them." Bob replied, kissing her gently on the lips. 

A vidwindow popped in front of them, stopping any romantic thoughts they may have had at the moment. "Yes, Phong?" Dot asked, knowing the sprite on the other end. 

"Dot," answered the wise old sprite. "I must see you and Bob at the Principal Office at once." 

"Why, Phong?" Bob asked, exchanging a worried glance with his wife. "Is something wrong?" 

"I think not, my child," Phong said, pushing his glasses higher on his nose. "But I'd like you here to be sure." 

"We're on our way, Phong." Dot replied, closing the window and quickly rushing outside.   


  


**Chapter 2 - The Arrival**

Three figures ran around the corner and down the hallway. Behind them could be heard gun shots and shouting. The three figures turned another corner and raced down the hall. They finally found a bunker in which they could hide. The three were dressed the same: tan military pants, black shirts, and black berets. 

"At what point...did we lose...all control here?" Enzo asked, trying to catch his breath. 

He, Matrix, and AndrAIa had run into some problem with the User during this military desert storm game. All they had to do was delete the User before he stole weapons from the artillery they were hiding in. But it soon became clear the User was stopping at nothing to get past them. 

"Okay," Matrix replied, also trying to catch his breath. "We need a plan. We need a plan of some sort." 

"Where's Dot when you need her?" AndrAIa asked. 

"I think if we hide in this bunker for a while, we can think of something to outsmart that dumb user." Enzo said. 

"Okay, genius." Matrix said, sarcastically. "Got a plan?" 

"I'm thinking, I'm thinking." Enzo sat for a while, casually looking over his shoulder for a sign of the user. After about a nano, he snapped his fingers. "I got it!" he exclaimed. 

"Shh!" hissed AndrAIa and Matrix in unison. 

"You want the user to hear the plan before we do?!" said Matrix. 

* * * 

The user, wearing Army fatigues, crept through the building looking for the three sprites he had chased. The building was quiet - too quiet - and that made the user jumpy. He peered around the corner and noticed the bunker. He smiled, knowing full well he had won the game. 

* * * 

"C'mon stupid." Matrix muttered to himself. He could see the user approaching the bunker, but he'd be ready for him. He certainly hoped this plan worked. But, if there was anyone besides Dot he trusted more with a plan, it was Enzo. He just wanted to hurry this thing up. 

* * * 

The user crept up to the bunker, aiming his M-16 down inside it. He fired and continued until he was out of ammo. That's when he noticed his prey was not in the bunker. "Shame you had to waste all that ammo," a woman's voice said behind him. The user turned around and was faced with the three sprites he had chased. 

"Shoulda saved some." Matrix replied. He grinned as the three raised their automatics and fired at the user. 

**GAME OVER**

The purple cube rose, leaving Matrix, Enzo, and AndrAIa on the ground in G-Prime. "I do love Desert Storm games." Enzo replied, smiling. The three started to head back to the Diner when a vidwindow stopped them. 

"Hey." Dot said, seeing the three. "How was the game?" 

"Alphanumeric, as always." Enzo replied. 

"We were just heading back to the Diner." AndrAIa said. 

"Do you guys mind stopping at the P.O. for a nano?" Dot asked. 

"Sure, Sis." Matrix said. "Everything's alright, right?" 

"Everything's fine." Dot replied. "I just want to see you guys really quick. Won't take long. Besides, maybe you can calm your daughter down." The last comment was made with a smile. 

"I knew there was a catch." AndrAIa said, jokingly. "We'll be there." 

They started to head off to the Principal Office. "You know," AndrAIa said, unable to stop the joke at that. "She may look like me, but..." 

"She has my temper." Matrix finished. He rolled his eye at her. "Yeah, yeah." 

The three made their way into the main office and quickly spotted Dot. "We're back." Enzo announced, strolling in like he owed the place. 

"Enzo!" cried a small sprite. The boy came running over and started pulling on Enzo's shorts. He was blue, like Bob, but had Dot's violet eyes. "Howwasit?Howwasit?Howwasit?Huh?Huh?Huh?" came the blurted question or questions. 

"What? What? What?" Enzo countered. 

The small boy rolled his eyes, as if Enzo had just asked the most basic question in all of Mainframe. "The game, silly." 

"Oh." Enzo said, in understanding. He knelt down to try and be eye level with the boy. "It was great." he said, all the excitement and enthusiasm he felt as a boy coming back at him. "We were totally surrounded by like... 50...no 75, no 100 troops! Just closing in on us!" Everyone else in the room just rolled their eyes. Enzo tended to exaggerate games for his niece and nephew. "Troops to the left of us, troops to the right of us! It was pretty sticky for a while." 

"Wow." Christopher Lan, nicknamed Kit, could always be expected to completely surrender to anything Enzo said about a game. He was the same way after he pestered Bob for a few nanos. 

"Enzo." Dot said, trying to bring the young sprite back into the real net. 

"Mooom." Kit whined. "He's in the middle of telling a story." 

"Yeah." Enzo said, grinning up at his sister. 

"He's in the middle of making up a story, you mean." Matrix muttered, picking up Sabrina and kissing her cheek. 

"Quiet you!" Enzo shot back. 

"Some other time, Kit." Bob interjected. "Did you forget we have company?" 

"Oh yeah." the boy said, sadly. He had almost forgotten. "Sorry Enzo." 

Enzo, too, looked dejected by this news. Then he got an idea. "Hey! The Diner? Later?" he asked. "It'll be your downtime story!" 

"Pixelicious!" The boy cried, hugging Enzo. 

The boy let go and Enzo remembered something Bob had said earlier. He quickly stood up. "Hey," he asked. "Did you say we have company?" 

"Yes," AndrAIa giggled. "And in the time it took you to make up a story for Kit, the rest of us have already met her." 

"Her?" Enzo asked. "Well, I haven't met her." Enzo folded his arms in a classic pout. He then heard a familiar laugh. 

"You've only known me for four hours." said the voice. When Enzo looked up, he saw Dot move out of the way to reveal a beautiful sprite behind her. She had tan skin, medium brown hair, and the most incredible dark blue eyes. She was about Dot's height and weight and had a gorgeous smile. 

Enzo was dumbfounded at first, seeing the girl. But he quickly regained his composure when the girl hugged him. "Alex?" he asked, awkwardly returning the hug. Alexandria Hewlett bent her head back and smiled at Enzo. The two had met about four hours ago, while at the Academy, though Alex was a semester behind Enzo. "Alex?" Enzo asked again, still trying to regain his senses. "What...what're you doing here?" 

The girl laughed and brought a smile to Enzo's face. He so loved the way she laughed. It reminded him of AndrAIa's laugh. "Silly." Alex replied. "My uncle lives in Mainframe. Remember? I told you about him." 

"I thought you were spending the summer with your Dad." Enzo said. 

"Something came up, so I'll be spending part of the summer here, and the other with my Dad." Alex replied. 

"If you need anything Alex, I'm sure Enzo wouldn't mind helping you out." Dot said, giving her brother a smile. 

"Yeah." Enzo said. "I mean, no, I mean..." Enzo took a deep breath and then gave Alex his best smile. "I wouldn't mind at all." 

"Great!" Alex said. "I'm heading over to my uncle's now, but is there somewhere I could you later?" 

"There's the Diner." Bob volunteered. 

"Dot's Diner. Fastest food in all of Mainframe!" Dot boasted. 

"Yeah." Enzo said, nodding. "We'll meet at Dot's and I can show you around." 

"Okay." Alex said, heading for the door. 

"Enjoy your stay in Mainframe, Alex." Dot said, as Alex opened the door. 

"Thanks." Alex said. To Enzo, she replied, "I'll see you later." She then left. 

_Yep,_ Enzo thought. _Better and better._

* * * 

Enzo walked into the Diner and headed straight for the bowl of energy bars sitting on the bar counter. He grabbed three and had devoured two of them before reaching the booth that contained four sprites. "Enzo," Dot said, watching her brother down his third energy bar. "You're spoiling your dinner." 

"I can't help it if I'm hungry." Enzo said, sheepishly, before eyeing the plate of fries that AndrAIa and Matrix were currently munching on. 

"Hey!" Matrix cried, seeing Enzo steal about three of his fries. 

"Pretty good." he said, chewing on one fry. He looked around and realized something was missing. "No ketchup?" 

AndrAIa passed him a plate that was covered in ketchup. Enzo looked at the plate and then at Dot. "What happened to...?" 

"We ran out." Dot replied. "Do you think you could...?" 

"I will buy ketchup cups." Enzo replied, dipping the fries in the plate. 

Alexandria walked in and quickly spotted Enzo. She always could. She had Enzo Matrix radar from the day they had met. "There you are!" she said, walking over to the group. She looked around at the new surroundings and said, "Hey, nice place." 

"Well, it is the fastest food in the Mainframe." Enzo said matter of factly. You'd think he actually owned the Diner. "Also has the best things to offer." 

"I bet." Alex replied, giving Enzo a teasing smile. 

Enzo cleared his throat a couple of times, obviously embarrassed by the show of affection she was giving him in front of his family and all. He did manage to get out, "In...in food, I meant," before turning red. 

"So," Alex said, trying to shift things away from her obvious crush. "Are you ready to show me Mainframe?" 

"Yeah, sure." 

"Enzo's the best tour guide to have, Alex." Matrix said, throwing his brother a compliment. His reward was the smile Enzo threw back at him and his confidence rising a bit. 

"Oh yeah?" Alex asked, somewhat jokingly. "Are you sure you won't get lost?" 

"Are you kidding?" Enzo smirked, leaning on the table with his hand. "I know this system like the back of my hand." What Enzo failed to realize, at the moment he leaned over, was the fact of where he had left the plate of ketchup. His smile finally faded when he realized his mistake. He removed his hand and gave Alex a nervous chuckle, before taking the napkin AndrAIa had passed to him. 

"Look, I'm going to go get an energy shake." Alex said. "I'll meet you outside." 

"Okay." Enzo watched the girl walk over to the bar. He then turned back around to see four smiling faces looking right at him. "A guardian's job is never done." He said, trying desperately to change subjects. When that didn't work, he continued. "You know, doing homework, studying game techniques..." 

"Showing pretty girls around your home system." AndrAIa replied. 

"...showing pretty girls around my home sys..." He stopped when he realized he had walked into a trap. "That is not a job, AndrAIa," he said, in his best authoritative tone. "That's a perk." 

"I so loved perks." Bob said, making Dot and AndrAIa giggle. Enzo took the ribbing in stride. He knew this would happen sooner or later. 

"If the Binome Gallery will excuse me, I have to escort a fellow guardian through the system of Mainframe." With one last smile, Enzo left the Diner to show Alex around. 

* * * 

"This is beautiful, Enzo." 

Enzo and Alex had zipped and walked through different sectors in Mainframe, but nothing appealed to Alex more than Floating Point Park. The two of them were sitting on the wall overlooking the channel. 

"When I was a little kid, I used to come here and think sometimes." Enzo replied, still fascinated with the stream as he had been hours ago. 

"What did you think about?" Alex asked, turning to look at him. 

"A lot things, really." Enzo said, still looking out. "Like homework or life or something basic like that." 

"I don't think that's basic at all." Alex said, sincerely. Enzo turned to look at her. He always thought she was beautiful, gorgeous. She was the only woman he would have ever thought could sway his thoughts from AndrAIa. But she had done it and from the first day they met... 

_He had met a lot of girls while at the Academy, but none like her. He was still harboring a slight crush on AndrAIa, who had by now become his sister-in-law. It wasn't the same as when he was a little sprite of 1.0, he had spent enough time with Matrix and AndrAIa, especially after Christopher was initialized. He had actually lived with them for a while, before he came to the Academy. He compiled up and realized that even though he was Enzo Matrix, he was the second Enzo Matrix and AndrAIa clearly loved the first one. Any feelings she had for him were from when she and Matrix were kids his age. She still saw him as the little sprite who thought he was tough and was a guardian, but was really a scared little kid. But that's the Enzo she fell in love with, so there was really no competition. But he loved AndrAIa, as a friend and now as his sister, who he could talk about things with. The more the three of them hung out, the closer they got. He was convinced no other woman would replace AndrAIa in his heart._

_That is until Alexandria Hewlett walked in the door._

_He was floored instantly and when she sat next to him in technique class, he was on Cloud 9. She was smart, pretty, funny, everything AndrAIa was, but more so. He wasn't sure what he was thinking when he asked her if she wanted some company during lunch. And he sure wasn't thinking when he volunteered to show her around the Super Computer, a place he had only been in for a semester. But she had said yes to both things and they had become best friends after that. He told her everything about himself, including his older self Matrix, which she thought was random and alphanumeric at the same time. And she in turn told him everything about herself. He found himself quickly developing a crush on her, one of many secrets he was now sharing between Matrix and AndrAIa through email. He loved everything about her. The way she smiled, the way she laughed, the way she said his name. "Enzo. Enzo."_

"Enzo." The shaking of his shoulder brought Enzo back into reality. Alex was staring at him, a confused look on her face. 

"What?" he said, sounding like he had just emerged from a dream. 

"I said, I should probably be getting home soon." she repeated. 

"Oh!" he said in comprehension. "Sorry. Guess I stopped processing for a nano." He gave her a nervous laugh, her favorite to hear. "C'mon then." The two jumped off the wall and zipped back towards the Kits sector, where Alex's uncle lived. "You know," Enzo said, walking Alex to the door. "We're practically like neighbors. My brother and sister are only a couple of apartments down." 

"Wow," Alex replied, tugging on one side of his vest. "That's pretty alphanumeric, huh?" 

"Yeah." Enzo said, gazing down at the hall carpet. "Um...Alex...I was...wondering, if you weren't doing anything later...um...if maybe...I don't know...you maybe would want..." Enzo finally looked at her to say, "But you don't have to! You can tell me to spam myself if you want, though I really hope you wouldn't do that cause I think that would be awfully mean of you and I'm pretty sure I wouldn't like it and it would probably hurt..." 

"Enzo!" she replied, laughing at his cute ramblings and pulling him closer to her. "Are you asking me out?" she asked, lifting herself up slightly to ask the question then setting back down. 

"Well...um...does it...sound...like I'm...like I'm asking you out?" Enzo stammered, but resting his forehead against hers. 

"Yes." 

"Oh." Enzo tried to hide the smile that was coming to his lips. "Well...um...then...let's say I was...would...would you...would you like...?" 

"Yes." she said, though it was covered by a laugh. She put her arms around his neck and whispered against his lips, "Is 8 okay?" Enzo simply nodded, afraid to cave in to the idea of kissing her. "Then I'll be ready at 8, okay?" Again, Enzo nodded. "You'll be here? Of course you will, huh?" She could've asked him to storm the P.O. and he would do it. Right as Enzo's will power gave out and he leaned in for a kiss, she disenagaged from him and went to the door. Enzo quickly recovered from falling flat on his face when he heard her giggling. "Goodbye, Enzo." She went inside and closed the door. He smiled as he thought about the wonderful night awaiting him. 

* * * 

Enzo was still getting ready when he heard Matrix and AndrAIa enter the apartment. Great. Now he'd have to get past four adults and two small sprites. He looked at the clock and relaxed. It was way past Bri's downtime. She was probably out before they even got to the door of the apartment. He had already told Kit his promised downtime story and the boy was out cold. 

Enzo splashed more aftershave on his face and looked at himself in the mirror. He looked nice: a button-down, collarless white shirt, black slacks, black socks, and shiny black shoes. He slicked his hair back once more and grabbed the long stem rose that was laying on the sink. He cut the lights and peeked out the bathroom door. No one was in the hall, but he could hear talking in the living room. This was actually perfect in a way. The four of them having a romantic night out, which means he probably would've left anyways. Now his only problem was how to get out without having to go through the Spanish Inquisition. _Errands,_ he thought. _I'm running errands._ He waited until the noise and laughter deleted, then made his way out. 

"Well, I'm leaving!" he said quickly, hoping to make it to the door before the questions started. 

He heard a whistle and then heard Matrix say, "Don't you look nice?" He stopped and turned to face them. They were sitting on the couch and looked like they were going to watch a quicktime movie. 

"Where are you off to all dolled up?" AndrAIa asked. 

"Just...running some errands." Enzo replied, hoping he wouldn't be staying here long. "Bob, you said I could use the car." 

"Sure." Bob reached into his pocket, pulled out the keys, and tossed them to Enzo, who caught them with one hand. 

"You're a little overdressed to be running errands, don't ya think?" Matrix asked. 

"Well...well at the Guardian Academy, they teach you to always go out looking your best. No matter what it is you're going to do." _This is going pretty well,_ Enzo thought. _This is going better than I expected. Now as long as I don't get a bad break._

"Who's the rose for?" AndrAIa asked. 

"Excuse me?" Enzo replied. "The rose." she repeated. "Who's it for?" 

_Well, there's the bad break._

"Um..." Enzo started. He stared down at the rose, trying to think of something to say. "It's for Phong." he finally said. "You know, he does so much for us and everything and I don't think we've really shown him how much we appreciate him, so I decided to get him this." 

"That's logical." AndrAIa surmised. "Cause you know, when I think of Phong I immediately think of roses." Both she and Dot started to giggle slightly. 

"They were out of the other flowers." Enzo explained. 

"Really?" Dot asked knowingly. 

"Yeah." Enzo said. "When I got there, they only had roses left." 

"My, that is a coincidence." AndrAIa said. 

"Yeah. Every other flower was gone." 

"Wow." AndrAIa replied. "And it's not even Valentine's Day." 

"Yeah!" Enzo said, hoping this would the last thing he needed to explain. "That's...that's what I told the guy. In the store." 

The room was quiet for a while, before Enzo replied with his first line of the night. "Well, I'm leaving!" He said, heading for the door. "Oh," he said turning around. "And just so you don't worry, I'll go see a movie." 

"Don't force yourself, Enzo." Bob replied, giving the lad a smile. 

"No, no." he said. "I'll go see a movie. I'll even see two movies." 

"Enzo, you don't have to..." Dot started to say, but was interrupted by Enzo. 

"Now, I insist on seeing a movie. So the four of you can have all the time in the net to watch movies or whatever. I'll just do some errands and see those movies. Bye now. Stay Frosty." Enzo quickly shut the door before any other argument or question could be asked. He took a deep breath before smiling and heading out to Bob's car. 

Meanwhile, the two couples were settling down to watch a movie. "I wonder where Enzo's taking Alex for their date." Bob wondered aloud. 

"When I think of Phong, I immediately think of roses," Dot smirked, causing her and AndrAIa to start laughing again. 

"Well," Bob said. "He's either on a date or going random." 

"I say he's on a date." Matrix said, putting his arm around AndrAIa. "But I won't count out random." 

* * * 

Enzo stopped the car right in front of the stairway leading up to Alex's uncle's apartment and leaped out of the car. He ran up the stairs and skidded to a stop in front of her door. He calmed himself and raised his hand, but before he could knock, the door opened to reveal Alex. Enzo's mouth dropped when saw her. By the code, she was beautiful. She wore a deep blue dress, one to match her eyes, and her hair hung about her shoulders. 

"Hi." she said, cheerfully. Enzo wanted to say hi or at least mention how incredibly beautiful she looked, but all that came out of his mouth was air and something like sounded like 'hi' in the back of his throat. "Is that for me?" Alex asked, gesturing towards the rose he held in his hand. Enzo made the same unvoicable sound as he looked down at the rose and back at her. Like a robot, he extended his hand in an offering gesture. She giggled, taking the rose in one hand, his hand in the other, pulling him close and kissing his cheek. Finally the energy liquid rushed back to Enzo, causing his face to turn red in a blush, but also allowing him normal speech patterns. Or at least he hoped. "Ready to go?" she asked, closing the door behind her. 

"Yes." he said, the answer coming out as a whisper. She giggled again, took his hand, and led him down the hallway to the exit. 

* * * 

At least Enzo hadn't completely lied. He and Alex did end up seeing a movie, a Dalt Wisney flick called _The Lady and the Binome_, a cartoon that was being re-released as an anniversary gimmick. Normally Enzo wouldn't have gone to see to it. It was a cartoon and worse, it was a romantic cartoon. No spilled energy, no deletion (except for a null that was deleted by the binome) other than that, pure girl stuff. But Alex wanted to see it and that's all it took for him to buy two tickets. It had been a great evening. Dinner, a movie, and even a stop to go jetbowling, a sport Enzo loved. Before taking Alex home, Enzo had remembered about the ketchup cups (how_ could _he forget after the incident earlier!?) and bought three packs of 100 cups. 

"I had a wonderful time, Enzo." Alex replied, as he walked her to the door. 

"Me, too." he said. "Sorry about having to make the stop for ketchup cups. I promised Dot I'd get some." 

"It's okay." she said, smiling at him. "Besides, maybe it got me back for beating you in jetbowling." 

"Just so you know and never forget, I let you win." They stopped in front of her door and Alex put her arms around Enzo's shoulders. 

"I really did have a good time, Enzo." she said, staring into his eyes. "If I had known you were this much fun, I would've spent all my summers in Mainframe." 

"Ha, ha." Enzo replied dryly at her little joke. He leaned his head lower so he could rest his forehead against hers. "It's getting late." he said. The urge to kiss her had been plaguing him all night. Actually, the urge had plagued him for three hours! 

"I know." she whispered, her eyes closed, obviously wanting him to kiss her good night. He touched his lips to hers, hoping to just give her a quick peck and tell her good night, but when she returned the kiss, he deepened it and she didn't complain. When it was over, the two shared a sigh of gratification. 

"I've been wanting to do that for hours." Enzo whispered against her lips. 

She smiled and said, "Me too." 

"Can I see you tomorrow?" 

"Of course." she replied, playing with the little braided tail that hung from his hair. 

"Maybe we can go jetbowling again." Enzo said, noticing for the fifth time that night that she smelled really really good. "And this time, I won't go so easy on you." They both chuckled at the joke. 

"Goodnight, Enzo." Alex said, stealing a kiss before going inside. 

* * * 

Enzo was enjoying this summer more and more. He stood outside the door for a few nanos, before heading out towards Bob's car. It seemed like millies before Enzo pulled in front of the Diner. He had purposefully driven slow, still smelling Alex's perfume in the car. He reached over, grabbed the ketchup cups, and headed for the door. Just as he reached it to punch in his code, a strange sensation came over him, as though something was watching him. He quickly looked at his surroundings and in a flash, the feeling was gone. He shook his head, jokingly saying that Alex's kisses were making him random. 

He opened the door to the Diner, closed it and locked it. He laid the three bags of ketchup cups on the counter before hopping over it. He brought the cups into the kitchen, placed them in the cabinet where they belonged and then headed downstairs to the apartment. He opened the door slowly and quietly and closed it behind him the same way. He leaned against it, thinking of Alex and the kiss they shared and he would've been content to stay there, hadn't a voice asked, "So how was it?" Enzo turned to see Dot still on the couch. The living room was still dark and he had to adjust his eyes before really realizing that Dot was talking to him. 

"How was what?" he asked. 

"The movie you saw." she said. Enzo moved away from the door to stand in front of Dot. 

"Fine, fine." he said, glancing around the room. "Where's Matrix and Dre?" 

"They went home minutes ago." Dot replied, smiling. 

"Oh. And..." 

"Asleep." 

"You didn't have to wait up for me, you know." 

Dot left the couch and put her hands on Enzo's shoulders. "It's habit." she said. "So, did you and Alex have a good time?" Before Enzo could deny such a happening, he saw Dot's knowing smile and smiled back. 

"It was alphanumeric, Dot." he replied. "I can't even begin to describe it." 

"Well, describe it to me tomorrow." she said, turning the boy and pushing him to his room that he was sharing with Kit. "It's late, so don't wake Kit." 

"I won't." he kissed his sister good night and closed the bedroom door. 

Indeed Kit was out like a light, so Enzo tiptoed to his bed. The bed would soon be Kit's when he got older, but until then, Kit certainly didn't mind being roommates with Enzo. Enzo quietly removed his shoes and socks and then rebooted into a shirt and boxers. He removed his icon and placed it in his cabbie hat before removing the shirt. He climbed into bed and looked up at the ceiling. He could still feel Alex's lips on his as he drifted to sleep. The uneasy feeling he had at the door to the Diner was quickly replaced by the feelings he had for Alex.   


  


**Chapter 3 - The Nightmare Begins**

Enzo woke up in a black void. How he got here was a mystery, seeing as when he fell asleep he was still thinking about Alex. "Hello?" he called. He received no answer. "Okay." he said, half expecting to see penguins and talking bunnies appear. Then that strange feeling came over him again. The feeling that he was being watched. An ever present sinister feel, the feeling that he was in grave danger. "Hello?" he called again, a bit nervously than the last time. 

"Welcome to my home," came the voice. It was deep and it seemed to ooze evil. 

"Who's there?" Enzo asked. Then came the laughing. The bellowing laughter that surrounded the entire void Enzo was now trapped in. "I gotta get out of here." Enzo whispered to himself. 

"There's no escape, Boy!" 

Enzo stopped cold, recognizing the voice. He shook his head, almost sure this was a big mistake. That's when he saw the glowing red eyes staring back at him. Those same glaring red eyes that had haunted his dreams only hours ago. The same glowing red eyes that haunted Matrix. "Oh no." Enzo said, not really sure he was seeing what he was seeing. 

"Oh yes!" The figure was right in front of Enzo now. His blue metallic body was now silver and he looked big and more powerful and worse, even meaner. 

"It can't be!" Enzo replied, scared out of his wits. 

"Oh, but it is." Megabyte replied. 

"No." Enzo said, shaking his head clear. "You're deleted. I...we...Matrix deleted you!" Enzo quickly went to reach for his icon, only to discover it gone from the place above his heart. 

The evil virus laughed again, causing Enzo to cover his ears. "Do you think the two of you are different, Boy!?" he asked, grabbing Enzo by the neck and picking him up in the air. "Do you really think I care about the difference in age between you two? I said I would exact my revenge, Boy, and it doesn't matter to me if you or that so called brother of yours goes first." Megabyte pulled back his other arm, the claws growing from his hands were very steel and looked very sharp. 

"No!" Enzo cried. "Enzo! Help!" 

* * * 

Matrix had been walking in this black void for what seemed like minutes and minutes. Right now he was trying to figure a way out. That's when he heard someone call his name. 

"Enzo! Help!" 

He looked to his right and saw the door he had been searching for and from the sound of it, it sounded like Enzo was on the other side. "Don't worry, little bro." Matrix said to himself as he rushed to the door. Before he could even put his hand on it, a burst of fire came hurdling towards the door and pushed him back. "What in the net...?" Matrix turned and his eye nearly popped from its socket. "Oh no." he said, seeing the beast. The same beast who plagued his nightmares for hours upon hours. The same fiery beast he couldn't escape from, whether in reality or a dream. 

* * * 

"Matrix!" Enzo struggled to get away from the virus, but the more he struggled, the more pressure Megabyte put on his throat. "No one can hear your screams, Boy!" the virus cackled as Enzo squirmed to become free. 

* * * 

Matrix could hear Enzo calling for him, but right now he had his own problems. Zaytan, the beast that had plagued his every thought since losing that fateful game hours ago and the beast who had taken his eye, was bearing down on him. Instinctively, he reached for Gun only to be disappointed when it wasn't there. He thought maybe he could Reboot into something that could save both him and Enzo, but when he went for his icon, it was gone. Matrix slid down the wall behind him as the beast approached. 

"I've come for your other eye." the beast replied, in a demonic tone and placed laughter behind it. All Matrix could do was close his only eye and wait for the pain to cease. 

* * * 

Enzo could feel himself become dizzy as Megabyte's grip tighten around his throat. "Oh no, Boy," the virus replied. "You're not going to go that easily." His claws came down and ripped through Enzo's chest. The pain was intense and he closed his eyes, as energy flowed from his body. In the distance, he thought he could hear Matrix screaming as well. 

* * * 

Enzo woke up with a start. He was sitting up in bed, head in his hands, trying to slow his breathing and heart rate. "Enzo, are you okay?" He looked over and saw little Kit looking up at him from beside the bed. Evidently his screaming had awoken him. 

"Yeah. I'm fine." He said, between breaths. 

"Enzo?" Dot called, opening the door to the bedroom. She was instantly alarmed at what she saw. Enzo sat in bed, his knees to his chest, arms wrapped around them, and his head resting on his arms. She quickly hurried over and sat down beside him. "Enzo, are you alright?" she asked, putting her hand on his shoulder. She applied some pressure when she realized he was shaking. 

"I'm fine. I'm fine." he said, obviously trying to slow down his breath. When he looked up her, she could see water on his face. She wasn't sure if he had been crying, sweating, or if Kit had thrown water on Enzo to wake him. 

"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked again. 

"Yes, I'm fine." he replied, as he moved his head frantically looking for something. He reached over her and grabbed his hat that was sitting on the nightstand. He grabbed his icon and gave a heavy sigh of relief. "I'm fine, Dot." he said, seeming to calm down a bit. "I'm fine. You can go back to bed." He was about to tell Kit to do the same, but he saw the boy already in bed and probably once again sleeping. 

"If you're sure." Dot said. The young sprite nodded repeatedly. "Okay." she gave him a kiss on the cheek and then left the room. 

* * * 

"Are you sure you're okay?" 

That question came from AndrAIa. She had been awaken by Matrix's screams and finally his quick breathing. He was sitting on the side of the bed, his head in his hands, and trying to recover his breath. 

"I'm fine, I'm fine." was his quick response, though she could obviously see he was not fine. She sat behind him and rested her head on his shoulder. 

"Nightmare?" she asked. She knew him all too well. "Yeah, yeah." he said, his fingers rubbing his temples on either side of his head. "A nightmare." 

"What about?" she asked. 

"Oh, you know," he said, trying to make a joke out of the situation. "Giant man eating bunnies." He chuckled a bit at the explanation. AndrAIa noticed he ran his fingers lightly over his bionic eye. He then quickly moved his hand to his chest, more specifically his icon. Finding it there on his t-shirt, the large sprite seemed to relax a little, or at least his shaking stopped. With his eye still closed, he asked, "Do you...do you think that um, do you think...?" Before he could finish his thought, a vidwindow popped in front of them. 

"Enzo..." said the breathless youth. "Hi AndrAIa. Did..did I wake you?" 

"In a sense, yes." she replied, sarcastically. "But you personally, no." That's when she noticed his strange behavior. He was shaking and already dressed. Like Matrix, he had his hand over his icon protectively and he looked slightly pale. "Enzo, are you okay?" she asked. 

"I'm fine." he replied, quickly. "Look, can...can I come over...for...for a little while? I promise I won't make it too long." 

"Sure Enzo, you can come over." 

"Thanks." he said. "I'll be right over." 

"No." Matrix said, finally speaking. "I'll come there and pick you up. Stay put, okay?" 

The youth nodded in agreement. "Matrix!" Enzo called, as Matrix rebooted in his regular clothes and starting putting on his boots. 

"Yeah." came the gruff reply. 

"Be careful. Okay?" 

"You just stay there, alright?" Matrix said, in a more soothing tone. "I'll be right over." He closed the vidwindow and returned to getting dressed. 

"I'll go with you." AndrAIa said, starting to get out of bed, but was stopped by Matrix's "No!" 

He put his hands on her shoulders, as though to steady himself from falling over. "No, no," came a softer reply against her neck. "We'll be okay. I'll be back in a nano." He kissed her forehead before leaving the bedroom. Matrix was there in half a nano. He unlocked the door to the Diner and found Enzo sitting in a booth, head on the table. "You ready?" was his first question. 

"Yeah." Enzo said, slightly startled by Matrix's entrance. Matrix wasn't surprised that Enzo didn't have anything on him. He had bought duplicates of just about everything: toothbrush, toothpaste, combs, deodorant, so he could keep one set at home and one set at his and AndrAIa's. 

"Did you...?" Matrix started, gesturing towards the kitchen. 

As if knowing his question, Enzo replied, "Yeah. I left a note." Matrix nodded and the two left and locked up. They got in the car, but didn't immediately go back home. They just drove around the system of Mainframe, just driving. In silence. Without looking at him, Enzo already knew the answer. 

"You had it too." It wasn't a question, it was a statement to which Matrix nodded. "Zaytan?" Enzo asked, already knowing what the answer would be. 

"Yeah." Matrix kept driving, finally slowing and stopping at Floating Point. He looked at Enzo, who was staring out at the water. 

"Megabyte." he answered, not needing to be asked. 

The two just sat there, in the car, sitting at the park. The two didn't really need any words between them. They knew they had two different nightmares, but they were connected somehow. Like two halves of the same dream. They continued to sit, not thinking about the dream, but trying to calm themselves down. Even as Matrix started up the car and headed for Kits sector, both may have seemed calm, but they were both rattled and frankly scared out of their wits. 

"How did your date with Alex go?" Matrix asked, trying to lighten the mood a little. 

Enzo looked at him, a little annoyed and surprised by the question. "Does everyone know about that?" 

"Hey, I was all for the 'you-going-random' thing." 

Matrix and Enzo finally returned to the apartment in the Kits sector. The two walked through the door and weren't completely surprised to see AndrAIa sitting on the couch. "I'll be back in a nano," she mocked. Both Enzos tried to explain, but were stopped by AndrAIa, who had gotten up and placed her hands on one of each of the sprites' cheeks. "I'm not mad." she said, seeing the looks on their faces. "I'm just worried, that's all. Are you sure you two are okay?" The two nodded solemnly. AndrAIa leaned over and gave the two a giant hug and was quietly surprised when they hugged her back fiercely. It wasn't a 'sorry for being late' kind of hug. It was more like a 'we're holding on to you for dear life' kind of hug. The two let their grip slack a little. "You gonna take the couch tonight?" AndrAIa asked Enzo, who nodded tiredly. "You know where the pillows and sheets are, right?" Again, Enzo answered her with a nod. "Okay." she said, giving the youth a smile. "Just don't wake up Sabrina or you'll have to put her back to sleep." 

Enzo released her and gave her a peck on the cheek. "Thanks Andri." he said, before heading down the hallway to get his bedding material. 

_ He hardly ever calls me that_ AndrAIa thought, but let it quickly slide when she realized Matrix was still holding on to her. "Are you alright?" she whispered in his ear, running her fingers through his hair. 

"I love you, Angelfish." he replied somewhere from her shoulder. 

This was a rare night indeed. First Enzo is calling her by a nickname he rarely uses and now Matrix. She only smiled at the events. "I love you, too, Sparky." she said, giving him a quick, but loving kiss on his lips. "Let's get you to bed." She grabbed the green sprite's hand and led him down the hallway to their bedroom, only stopping for AndrAIa to plant a kiss on Enzo's cheek, as he came past them with a pillow in his hand and a blanket over his shoulder. "Goodnight, Guardian." she replied, pulling Matrix along behind her. 

* * * 

The next day, Matrix, AndrAIa, Enzo, and Alex went circuit racing. Or at least AndrAIa and Alex went circuit racing. Matrix and Enzo sat on a bench by the track. The two felt low-res after the nightmares they had and didn't really want to be there, but the girls had insisted, saying they needed to do something to take their minds off of things. 

"Well, Alex," AndrAIa said, as the two women walked over to the guys. "You've beaten me twice today. I think that's enough winning for you." 

Alex had noticed that neither Matrix or Enzo seemed to look quite right. "Are you guys okay?" she asked, mostly to Enzo. 

He looked up at her, shades covering his eyes and replied, "Fine. Just fine." 

"Hey, let's head over to the Diner, huh?" AndrAIa said, seeing the look on Alex's face. She figured she and Enzo should talk. She walked over to Matrix and extended a hand to him, which he tiredly took and with her help, stood up. "We'll meet you guys there, okay?" She pulled Matrix to the side, gave him a quick hug, before getting on her zipboard and waiting for him. He followed suit and the two left. 

"Enzo, are you sure everything's okay?" Alex asked again, sitting next to him. He didn't seem to be himself today. He was unusually quiet and seemed to be offlined about something. 

"Everything's fine, Alex!" he exclaimed, a little harsher than he would've liked. He was just getting tired of people asking him that. 

"Look, Enzo, if this is...if this about last night and when...when I kissed you..." Alex's voice trailed off slightly. 

Enzo leaned over and kissed her gently on the lips. "This has nothing to do with you." he said, gently. "Last night was wonderful. It really was. Listen, Matrix and I...we just...we just need to think about stuff, that's all. It's something only we can work out. I'm sorry for making you think that...that I don't enjoy having you here. Believe me," he stopped and kissed her again, this time for a longer amount of time. "If I knew how much I'd enjoy that, I would've insisted on you coming here more often." 

This made a smile come to Alex's face and she hugged Enzo tightly. "I'm just worried about you, that's all." she said. 

"I know." he said, softly. He pulled back to look at her. "Look, don't worry about me, huh? Matrix and I just have something we need to think about. By ourselves. We just need some downtime, that's all." He kissed her forehead before standing. "Race ya for an energy shake!" 

* * * 

Matrix woke with a start. It had happened again, though this time it seemed as though he and Enzo had switched dreams. Tonight, he had been face to face with a bigger, stronger, deadlier Megabyte. And Megabyte had given him a warning, saying there would be no peace for him and Enzo. That he was back, bigger and badder than before and the Matrix brothers were the first people on his hit list. He wasn't just going to make them suffer, like he did out in the Web. He wanted to torment them. Torture them. And this was just the beginning. "I'm coming for you, Boy," he had said. The sentence rang in Matrix's head, seemingly growing louder and louder until Matrix finally sat up in bed, causing AndrAIa to wake up beside him. 

"Sparky?" she whispered, seeing him sit up next to her. She ran her fingers up and down his back, hoping to calm him. It did some good, as he laid back down. "You're sharing the same nightmare, aren't you?" she asked. 

Matrix shook his head, bringing her closer to him. "It's not the same dream." he replied tiredly. "It's like...two halves of the same dream." AndrAIa looked at him for a minute, before laying her head on his chest. After a while of silence, Matrix asked quietly, "Don't leave me, okay?" 

"It takes more than that to get rid of me, Lover." she quipped. 

"I'm serious." She listened to his tone of voice change. She hadn't heard him be so frightened before, not since they were lost in the games. "Don't leave me." he said, holding her tighter. 

"I won't, Enzo." she said. "I won't ever leave you." 

* * * 

"You mean they've been like this for a solid cycle?" Bob asked the question in confusion. He, Dot, and AndrAIa sat in a booth near the large window at the Diner. Bob had noticed Enzo and Matrix weren't quite themselves, but he didn't think it was that serious. Until now. 

"I mean," AndrAIa said. "I think we've all gotten used to the fact that when one of them is low-res, the other is too, but this is really ridiculous. I'm really starting to get worried." 

"So they're sharing a nightmare?" Bob asked. 

"Like before?" Dot asked. 

"No. I don't know." AndrAIa confessed. "I asked both Matrix and Enzo about it and...well, they both said the same thing. They're having two different nightmares, but they're connected somehow. Like two halves of the same dream." 

"Two halves of the same dream?" Bob asked, quizzically. "Both Matrix and Enzo said that?" 

"I'm very worried." Dot said, a look of concern on her face. "You know Enzo's been sleeping on the couch? He's doing his best not to wake up Kit, but sometimes I don't think he's sleeping at home!" 

"I don't even think they're sleeping at night anymore." AndrAIa said. "They've opted to sleep during the second." 

"This is really random." Bob replied. "They haven't had a nightmare for hours! Then all of a sudden, one nightmare offlines them both? That doesn't make any sense." 

"You know what else is weird?" AndrAIa added. "Have you noticed a game hasn't dropped since then?" 

Before the group could continue, Alex walked through the door and headed for them. "Have you guys seen Enzo?" she asked. She was obviously upset. "We were supposed to go jet bowling today and I haven't seen him." All Bob did was point past her to an occupied booth. 

Enzo and Matrix were dozing in a booth across the way. Enzo had his arms on the table and was using them as a pillow. Matrix was stretched out in the booth, one arm resting on the table, the other resting on the back of his seat, and his head leaning against the window. Alex looked at the sight in slight horror and definite annoyance. "What is going on with them?" she asked, as she took a seat next to AndrAIa. 

"That's the same question the three of us have asked," Dot said. Her features took on a look of determination. "And quite frankly, I'd like to know this instant." Dot signaled her waiter Cecil over to the booth, with the intention of having him go over and wake the boys up, but apparently she didn't need that. 

In an instant, Enzo woke with a start, causing Matrix to wake and pull Gun from his side, scaring a few of the customers. "It's me!" Enzo cried, trying to calm Matrix down. "It's me. It's just me." Matrix looked at his surroundings a bit, before putting Gun away. The two then took deep breaths to calm themselves. 

"Oh boys!" They heard Dot's voice from the other side of the Diner and she didn't sound happy. "Could I see you over here for a moment?" Yep. Definitely not happy. The two looked at each other, before reluctantly and tiredly walking over to the booth where she was. 

"Enzo!" Alex said. "Where've you been?" Enzo stared at the girl for a moment, as if trying to remember something. "Were we supposed to do something today?" he asked. 

"Enzo, we were supposed to go jet bowling today!" 

"Oh yeah." the sprite said, stifling a yawn. 

"You guys, this is becoming very serious." Dot said, addressing the Enzos. "Now, I want you to sit down and..." 

Suddenly a vidwindow featuring Phong popped at the table. "Dot!" he cried. "I must see you all at the Principal Office at once! It's of great urgency!" 

"Alright, Phong." Dot said, slightly disappointed that her previous task would have to wait. "We're on our way." She closed the vidscreen and proceeded to stand. 

"Maybe the two of you should stay and catch up on your sleep." Bob said, hoping the two green sprites would get some rest. 

"I am Chief of Security, Bob." Matrix replied, rather defensively. "Enzo is a Guardian. I think we have every right to be there." 

"I'm not stopping you, Enzo." Bob said, putting his hands up. Matrix just stared at him before heading for the door, Enzo right behind him. 

* * * 

The group arrived at the P.O. in silence and were greeted by Phong, who immediately saw something wrong. "What's the problem, Phong?" Matrix asked, half asleep and with his arms folded across his chest. 

"My children, I sense there's a cloud over you all, but I will skip it in this instance to tell you something of greater importance." 

"Well, what is it, Phong?" AndrAIa asked, clearly interested. 

"This." Phong opened a screen in front of the group. The screen was of sector 34, near the area that used to be the Tor. The only thing that stood there was a large shed of sorts. "I've detected a tear that has formed over the area of the Tor." Matrix and Enzo quickly perked up upon hearing this news. Enzo quickly looked at his older self, who didn't move. Just stared at the screen. 

"I'll go and close it." Bob said, nonchalantly. 

"Closing it is a simple matter, my child," Phong said, zipping around the office to another screen. "The problem is something was detected coming through the tear." Enzo gripped Matrix by the shirt at the mention of the something coming through the tear. They did not like the sound of that. 

"But Phong, don't you need a portal in order for anything to come through?" AndrAIa asked, seeing the looks on Enzo and Matrix's faces. 

"Usually that is true, AndrAIa," Phong replied. "But this time it's something very odd. Our scanners detected something coming in, then it was gone. And then it returned, but now it is gone again." 

"Maybe there's something wrong with the scanners." Alex supplied. 

"Perhaps." Phong commented. 

"It's not the scanners." Matrix said, coming out of a long silence. When Enzo grabbed him, he had sensed it too. They knew exactly what was wrong. 

"What?" Dot asked. 

"It's not the scanners!" He repeated, more forcibly than the first time he had spoken. "It's..." 

Before he could continue, Matrix was hit with a sheering pain in his mind and so was Enzo, causing him to stagger into Alex. The screaming of the two caused the others to group around, trying to find what the matter was. "Enzo!" cried Dot. "What it is? What's wrong?" 

The only sound the boys could hear was that of Megabyte's laughter. "Oh my yes, Miss Matrix." he sneered. "What is wrong indeed. I told you, Boy, I'd be coming for you and now I'm here. It's unfortunate that only the two of you are aware of it." He began to laugh as more pain echoed in the Matrix brothers' minds. "As I told you, Boy, your suffering will be my reward. After I've ridden myself of your...presence, I'll come after everyone you love and take this wretched system and destroy it. This is just the beginning, Boy. Your constant pain will be my constant pleasure. Until then, let me leave you with a little present." Megabyte opened his palms and a glowing red energy come from them, seemingly blasting through the brothers minds, causing Enzo to fall backwards, landing semi-conscious on the floor. At the same instance, Matrix fell to his knees, holding his head in his hands. He was crunched over, doing his best to make the pain go away. 

"I will summon the medics!" Phong exclaimed, bringing up a vidwindow. By the time the medic crew arrived, both Matrix and Enzo were unconscious.   


  


**Chapter 4 - Matrix Be Damned**

It had been AndrAIa's turn to pace, while Dot sat in one of the chairs. The group now lingered about the hallway outside of a room in the P.O.'s medical ward. Both Enzo and Matrix were brought in unconscious, but still processing. Phong and one of the medics were in the room now. "They're okay." AndrAIa said, pacing back and forth. "They're okay." 

"Of course they're okay." Bob said, hoping to bring a little peace to the girls' minds. "It might be stress of some sort." What he didn't tell them was that, like Matrix and Enzo, he had sensed something as well. Something residently evil, but what he couldn't be sure of. 

"What's going on in there?" Alex asked, impatiently. If it hadn't been obvious before, Alex's feelings for Enzo certainly had been shown while trying to take the brothers to the medic. When she had refused to move for the medics, one binome had thought maybe he could move her himself and was quickly pushed in the nearby desk. 

Finally, Phong left the room and was greeted by the group. "Come and let's talk in the office." he said, rolling past them. "There is much to say." The four looked at each, then at Phong, then back at each other before moving to catch up to the wise sprite. Once the five sprites had gathered in Dot's office, Phong began to speak. "I have found the problem that plagues the young Matrix brothers and I'm sorry to say that it is unfortunate." 

"Well, what is it?" Alex asked. 

"Two halves of one dream." Phong stated. 

"Hey, that's what Enzo and Matrix said!" AndrAIa exclaimed. 

"Phong, exactly what does that mean?" Dot asked. 

"I'm afraid an old evil has come back to Mainframe and is causing terror on your brothers, Dot." Phong said. The group looked confused, so Phong elaborated. "Let me first tell you how I came to this reasoning. I hooked both Enzo and Matrix up to a RDE..." 

"A what?" Alex asked. 

"It's short for Reality Distortion Engine." Bob whispered. 

"It allows someone to enter the dreams of another sprite." AndrAIa added. 

"Yes..." Phong continued. "I used a special RDE that would allow me to view the current mind state of both Enzos. Both are troubled by disturbing dreams that are not of their own will." 

"Phong, you said that an old evil has come back." AndrAIa said. "Could this be the reason for the dreams?" 

"You are correct with your insight, my child." Phong said. "The evil has somehow infested itself within the minds of the young Enzos and is using their previous disappointments as fodder to torment them." 

"Well, who is it?" Alex said, obviously irritated by the whole revelation. "Who's the evil? We just go in and take out the infection, virus, or whatever and they're okay, right?" 

"I'm afraid it is not that simple, Alex." Phong said, leaving the office. The others followed closely. "It seems that this evil is trying to destroy Enzo and Matrix." 

"And if I know Enzo and Matrix, they're looking to destroy the evil." Bob replied, soberly. "Right, Phong?" 

"Correct, Guardian." Phong said. The group once again found themselves in the medical unit and heading towards the room holding Matrix and Enzo. 

"Wait," Alex said, slowing behind the group. "You mean Enzo and Matrix knew all along who this guy was?" 

"Figures." AndrAIa said, rolling her eyes. "Knowing those two stubborn sprites." 

Just then, the medic who was assisting Phong came rushing out. "There's another dream happening, Mr. Phong!" the binome said, rapidly. 

"Come and you'll see what I mean." Phong said, rolling quickly towards the door. 

Upon opening the door, the group was met by a large vidwindow. The screen was blank and had two seperate wires conneced at the bottom, going outward and attaching to the patients on the tables on either side. Enzo and Matrix were on either side of the vidwindow, completely unconscious. AndrAIa had to keep calm and resistant in order to hold Alex and herself back from rushing to their significant Enzos. AndrAIa knew Enzo Matrix well enough to know that he could pull himself out of anything, but even she had an odd feeling about the current situation. 

"Sir, images seem to be appearing." the medic replied. 

"Just watch." Phong said. The images on the screen came in to focus and it was clear that Enzo and Matrix were now dreaming... 

* * * 

Enzo found himself encased in the black void again. _Oh no,_ he thought. _Not this again._

"Hey!" Enzo turned around to see Matrix walking over towards him. "What're you doing in my dream?" he asked. 

"I could ask you the same thing, Sprout." Matrix said, looking around at their surroundings. "All I can say is welcome to my nightmare." 

"Been there, done it." Enzo said, trying to put humor in a deadly situation. 

**WARNING: INCOMING GAME! WARNING: INCOMING GAME!**

"You've got to be kidding." Matrix grumbled, seeing the shimmery purple cube starting to come down from overhead. 

"Maybe we're not dreaming." Enzo said. He was trying to believe that maybe they weren't having another one of their nightmares. 

"Hey guys!" They heard from behind them. To their shock and disbelief, AndrAIa was standing in between them. "Trying to hog the fun to yourselves, huh boys?" she said, grinning at each of them. 

Matrix looked at Enzo, from over AndrAIa's shoulder. "If this is a dream," he said, as the cube started to engulf them. "She had better be in mine!" 

When the cube fell, the three sprites found themselves in an arena of some type. "Hey," Matrix said looking around. "This reminds me of something." 

"Well, Guardian?" AndrAIa asked, looking expectingly at Enzo. "What game are we in?" 

Enzo looked at her for a moment, then looked at his wrist. On it, he found a key tool. _Now that's weird,_ he thought. Enzo wasn't getting his own key tool until graduation and that was an hour away. "Um..." he said, trying to think. "Cutter, stats." he said, taking a shot in the dark. The key tool beeped and blipped and put a display of the game. "It's an arena type game called...oh no!" 

"Oh no?" AndrAIa asked, laughter in her voice. "That's the name of the this game?" Enzo looked up and saw the figure he dreaded. It was the game he thought he would never have to see. 

"Come on, kid." Matrix growled. 

"What's the name of the game?" 

Enzo just stared straight ahead, trying to calm his nerves. This had to be a dream...a dream nothing! It was a bonifide nightmare is what it was! "Look." was all he could say as he pointed to the ring. Matrix and AndrAIa looked where he pointed. Matrix could feel his heart beating in his body as he saw the fiery monster before them. 

* * * 

Three sprites in the room gasped when they saw the fiery beast. "Enzo..." AndrAIa could barely get the name out. Alex looked at all of them in confusion and slight horror. She vaguely remembered Enzo telling her about how Matrix, AndrAIa, and Frisket were lost in the games and that Matrix had lost his eye in a game. By the looks on everyone's faces, this was obviously a game that was dangerous. 

* * * 

"Come on, let's Reboot." AndrAIa said, reaching for her icon. 

"No!" Matrix cried, his voice wavering, his hand stopping hers. He was finding it hard to talk. "I'll...I'll Reboot." 

"Matrix, that's crazy!" Enzo said. He knew the rules of this game and dream or not, he wasn't going to sit idly by while his brother got himself deleted. 

"Enzo," AndrAIa said, taking his face in her hands. "We're big sprites now. We can take care of ourselves." She took his hand and said, "Reboot." while tapping her icon twice. Enzo followed suit and then Matrix, who was quite confused. 

They soon found themselves above the ring, encased behind glass plated windows. Enzo looked down at himself and saw he was dressed in a black and yellow jumpsuit. _What a cruel and ironic twist,_ he thought bitterly, removing the hood on his head. He looked to his left and saw Matrix leaning against the glass. He was clad in a black warlock robe, with a red slash, and a wooden staff leaning against the glass with him. To Matrix's left, was AndrAIa dressed as a warrior. Enzo released the breath he'd been holding since he looked up the stats for this game. Thinking of something, he looked to his wrist and found...nothing. The key tool that he had at the start of the game was now gone. 

Enzo looked down and saw Zaytan rid himself of his first opponant. He then turned to the trio. That's when Enzo noticed that they were the only opponants left. They were the only ones there! He turned to look at Matrix, who had his eyes closed, praying to the User he'd be picked. He didn't want to go through this again, ever. Zaytan looked at Enzo and Matrix for a bit, before pointing his boney, fiery finger at AndrAIa, who dropped from her glass prison. "NO!" exclaimed Enzo and Matrix. They both had been hoping to be picked. They never dreamed he would pick AndrAIa. The two could only watch as the two combatants circled each other and finally coming to blows. AndrAIa put up a good fight, but couldn't outrun a blast from Zaytan. She was quickly thrown to the other side of the arena, so that Enzo and Matrix could watch how she would die. "AndrAIa!" Enzo hollered, banging on the glass. Zaytan stood over the lifeless body of the game sprite. His large hand went to her head as his face turned to glare at Matrix, a sadistic grin on his face. He waited until both sprites could see before he crushed her head. Zaytan continued to hover over AndrAIa, while Enzo and Matrix stood behind their glass trappings. Enzo just stood, mouth agape, hands on the glass. 

He couldn't believe it. This had to be a dream. Reality like this was too harsh. He gave a quick glance at Matrix, whom he could see was slowly falling apart. He was on his knees, head resting on the glass, eyes closed. Enzo hoped the game would end, just lift and kill him and Matrix. He looked up to see Zaytan standing over AndrAIa's body. Suddenly he turned his head to look at Enzo from over his shoulder, but it wasn't Zaytan who looked at him. It was Megabyte. Enzo's eyes nearly bugged out of his head, seeing the virus. The body was still that of Zaytan, but the head and what seemed like an arm was definitely Megabyte. Megabyte shot Enzo a cool smile before raising his arm and taking a swing at him with his claws. Enzo thought the virus had lost it. There was no way his claws would get to him from up here. Then he saw the claws extending, reaching out from the hand of Megbyte and coming staright at him, the sharp, steel blades shattering the glass, cutting through Enzo, through his chest, his icon, his heart... 

* * * 

Enzo's body lurched on the table from the pain, his screams causing Dot and Alex to rush over to try and calm him. 

* * * 

Matrix's life was over. His reason for living gone with AndrAIa's deletion. In the back of his mind, he thought of the little girl who was his pride and joy, but also a reminder of the woman who this monster had just murdered. The monster who had robbed his life, along with AndrAIa's and had robbed him of his right eye...the monster had won again and stolen his life and AndrAIa's. Nothing seemed to matter anymore. So when he heard Enzo's screams, there was another rip at his heart. He opened his eyes and saw Zaytan coming towards him. "I've come for your other eye...Boy..." Matrix saw the fiery staff come towards him. This time, he was going to see it coming. 

* * * 

AndrAIa and Bob were by Matrix's side as he cried out in pain. The commotion from the Matrix boys was over and both were quiet. The medic quickly went over to check on them, telling the group they boys were just in a deep sleep. Phong wanted to continue his talk, but only Bob and Dot followed him out of the room. They soon went back to the command room to discuss things. "Phong, you don't think..." Dot started, afraid of the answer. She had finally gotten close to both of her brothers, but there were still things that only the two of them would share and if they did open up, it was to AndrAIa. If her thoughts were correct, the same virus that had taken her love and her brother, was now back tormenting her brothers all over again. 

"Dot," Phong said, hanging his head. "Bob, did you sense anything earlier?" 

Bob looked at Phong, then at Dot, then lowered his head to the floor. He had made a vow to never keep secrets from Dot and now he had kept one to spare her feelings. "Yes." he said, meekly. He lifted his head, looking at Phong. "I did sense something, but I couldn't tell you what it was. If it was..." he paused, unable to say the name of the virus who had caused so much pain and sorrow in his home. "Only Enzo and Matrix can answer that, but I'm sure they'll say who we're thinking of." The three sprites were quiet for a while, not knowing what to say. 

"How?" Dot asked quietly. "If he was trapped in the Web, how...?" 

"Remember Dot, our Guardian also survived the Web." Phong said. 

"How could he possibly get into their minds like that?" Bob asked. "I thought only..." Bob lowered his voice. "I thought only Daemon could control someone's mind. And that was only if they were under her infection." 

"Many things are possible, my children." Phong said. "Right now, I think our first concern is with young Enzo and Matrix." 

* * * 

Enzo's head was deleting him to the core. But in a weird way, he felt...rested. It was like he had the best sleep, better then the sleep he had gotten in the past week. He felt someone nearby, someone was holding his hand. He opened his eyes slowly, expecting Dot or maybe AndrAIa, but pleasant surprise came to his face when saw Alex sitting in a chair next to the bed. He let a sigh as he tried to see where he was. 

"Enzo?" the girl asked, seeing the movement. He opened his eyes and smiled at her. "Oh Enzo," Alex said, squeezing his hand. "I thought you weren't going to wake up." 

"I couldn't keep you waiting." he quipped, smiling at her. "Here, help me sit up." Alex hesitated at first, but soon helped Enzo sit up in bed. He looked around at the room he was in. At some point, Phong had requested that Enzo and Matrix have their own private rooms. His vest and cap lay at the foot of the bed and the room seem to be very dark, except for a small table lamp. 

"What happened?" Enzo asked, slightly confused with his surroundings. 

"Something happened to you and Matrix in the Principal Office." Alex stated. "You've been out most of the second." Enzo looked at her, then glanced out the room window. Sure enough, night time had come to Mainframe and the sky was lit with the lights from the system. 

"Well I guess so." he smirked, rubbing his forehead. 

Alex hugged him. "I was so worried about you." she whispered in his ear. Enzo smiled. He hoped this wouldn't be Alex's only summer in Mainframe. He really wanted her to come and visit him every chance she got. He wanted her to..._her to what?_ He asked himself. Alex let go of him and sat on the edge of the bed. "Enzo, can I ask you something and you won't get mad?" she asked quietly. 

"Has that ever stopped you?" he asked, giving her a smile. When he saw the look on her face, he lay back on his pillows. "You can ask me anything." 

Alex took a deep breath before saying anything. "Enzo..." she started, looking down at his sheets. "I was jus...I was wondering if...Enzo, could you..." 

"Calm down." he said, patting her hands gently. "You're starting to sound like me." 

Alex looked up. She cared more for this sprite than anyone she ever met and/or dated. These nightmares of his were confusing to her and the fact that he was sharing them with Matrix didn't make a whole lot of sense either. And where did AndrAIa fit into the whole thing? She liked her. She was nice and caring. She knew she didn't have any real competition with her. Right? Alex had wanted to ask him those questions and tell him how she felt, but lost her nerve. 

"Never mind." she said, standing. "It was nothing important." She turned to go, but Enzo still had her hand and he pulled her back. 

"Hey, Alex, wait a nano." She turned to look at him. He moved over some and patted the edge for her to sit, which she did. 

She sat with her back to him, looking out the window at Mainframe. She remembered their date her first night there and how things had gone terribly wrong since. Enzo looked at her for a long time, slowly rubbing her back with his hand. He wanted to tell her how he felt about her, tell her what his plan was for getting rid of the nightmares. "Were you really worried about me?" he asked, softly. 

"Of course I was." She said, turning to face him. He stared into her eyes, noticing time and time again how incredibly beautiful she was. He kissed her gently. "Alex, I'm going to do something you might not like," he said, before kissing her again, this time deepening it. 

"You think I wouldn't like that?" she asked, a playful smile coming to her lips. 

Enzo had to laugh at that. "No," he said, shaking his head. "Not that. Something else." 

"What?" 

"I can't tell you." he said. 

Alex was taken a back by this and a little hurt. He wasn't going to tell her his plans, but she bet he'd tell them to someone else! "C'mon Enzo," she said, rubbing the back of his neck, teasing him to kiss her. "What's AndrAIa got that I don't?" He looked at her in surprised confusion. She hadn't meant to say that out loud, but she did. She wondered if she should ask what Matrix had meant about AndrAIa being in his dreams. 

Enzo looked at her for a moment, then coming to the realization that she might be jealous. "Did you want to ask me something?" he asked, putting his arms around her. "You can ask me, Allie." 

Alex took a deep breath. She only let one person call her Allie and that was Enzo. It was a pet name between them and loved hearing him say it. "There's a lotta stuff I don't get." she said, firmly. "But first, I wanna hear this plan of yours." 

* * * 

Matrix woke up with a pounding headache. When he opened his eyes, he was looking out the window, looking at how lovely Mainframe was at night. _Night?_ What had happened? Matrix his head to the other side and looked at his surroundings. He realized he was in one of the medic rooms in the Principal Office. The room was slightly dark, but light came from a night stand lamp. Sitting in the chair by the stand, reading a read-me file, was AndrAIa. Sensing she was being watched, she turned to look at Matrix. "About time you woke up." she said, smiling down at him. 

Matrix struggled to sit up, being forced to lay back down by AndrAIa, until he assured her he was alright. "What in the net happened?" he asked, groggily. 

"You don't remember?" AndrAIa asked. 

"Andri, if I remembered, I wouldn't have asked." Matrix replied, sarcastically. 

"My, aren't we Mr. Sunshine today?" AndrAIa retorted. Matrix gave her a look, to which she gave him a kiss on the forehead. "You and Enzo passed out earlier." she said, sitting next to him on the bed. 

"Enzo's here?" he asked, surprised. He could remember being in the P.O., listening about some tear...THE TEAR! He remembered Megabyte's voice and his laughing and...the dream. The dream where AndrAIa had been deleted by Zaytan. 

"Enzo?" AndrAIa asked. She had been calling his name, watching as he drifted off into some far off place inside in his mind. 

"Huh?" he said, turning to look at her. "I asked if you were alright." she said. 

"Yeah." he said, taking a deep breath and expelling it. "I'm fine." He ran his hand over his face, going back to slowly trace the metallic ball that was now his right eye. He quickly moved his hand to his icon, finding it safely on his chest. 

"Enzo," AndrAIa said, quietly, putting her arms around his shoulders. 

"I thought I lost you." he replied, the response coming out as a whisper. 

"I told you, Sparky," AndrAIa said. "It takes a lot to make me leave." 

"Speaking of which, where's our little troublemaker?" Matrix asked. 

She looked at him, knowing he was turning the subject around to their daughter. "I let Hack and Slash watch her." AndrAIa chuckled. "I had thought about leaving her with Mike the TV, but I didn't want her taking him apart. Like last time." 

Matrix chuckled at the memory. "I've been trying to take that TV apart since I was a kid. Leave him alone with my four hour old daughter and she gets the job done in no time." 

Just then, the door opened. "Is he awake yet?" Dot asked, poking her head through the door. 

"Yep." AndrAIa, standing up. "I'll leave you guys to talk. I'll go check on Little Enzo." 

"Tell him I have to talk to him if he's okay." Matrix said. With that, she left the room, leaving Dot and Matrix to themselves. 

"Are you feeling better?" Dot asked, taking the chair previously occupied by AndrAIa. 

"A little groggy, but other than that, I'm alright." he answered. The two sat in silence for a while, before Matrix asked, "Was there something you wanted to ask me, Dot?" Dot looked at him, all the questions she had about certain things, things she had seen in his nightmare, things about his past in the games... 

"No." she lied. "I just wanted to see how you were doing before I went to talk to Enzo...I mean the other Enzo." 

Matrix could see she wanted to say something, ask him something. The closeness they had before he lost that game was gone now. They had settled some things a while ago, but they still talked like casual strangers, not like the siblings they were. Even Dot and Little Enzo seemed to be pulling apart. Dot noticed he was staring at her, wanting to tell her something, ask her something. He looked like their father now, with the thinly trimmed beard and those dark violet eyes that the Matrix siblings shared. The more she thought about it, it was really the only thing the three of them shared now. 

"Dot?" his voice broke their silence and brought her out of herself. 

"Yes?" 

"You alright?" he asked. 

"Yes, I'm fine." she replied. "Well, I'd better let you rest." she stood up. 

"You don't have to go," Matrix replied. "Not if you don't want to." 

"I'd love to, but..." she started. He was asking her to stay, so why was she hesitant at staying? 

"I understand." he interrupted. "Command.Com duties. I'll see you later." She nodded, went to the door, and left. 

* * * 

AndrAIa got to Enzo's door and was going to just walk in, when something stopped her. She thought about bringing up a window to tell him she was outside, but she figured he was in there with Alex. She got a smile on her face thinking about the two of them. It was obvious they were in love with each other. It reminded her of Matrix and the two of them falling in love during those hours of game hopping. That was really the only good thing that came out of that experience. Watching that nightmare of theirs had really given her the jaggies. And knowing the two of them, they only had revenge in their minds and hearts, just like Megabyte. Shaking her head, AndrAIa decided the best thing was to knock on the door first, which she did. 

"Who is it?" came the reply. 

"It's AndrAIa." 

"Um...hang on a micro." AndrAIa heard a small commotion from inside, then quiet. 

"Okay! You can come in now." She opened the door and leaned against the doorjam. "Hi Dre." Enzo replied, happily, sitting up in bed, a read-me file in his hands. 

"Hi AndrAIa." said Alex, sitting in a chair beside the bed, also holding read-me file. 

"Hi." AndrAIa said, smiling. "You two behaving yourselves?" 

"Of course!" Enzo said, laughing nervously. 

"What could we possibly be doing?" Alex asked, chuckling. The two teenagers laughed nervously at the question, both blushing. 

AndrAIa rolled her eyes and said, "Matrix wants to talk to you, if you're up to it, Enzo." 

"Yeah, I'm fine." Enzo said. "Where is he?" 

"He's down the hall." AndrAIa replied. "Room 109, I believe." She turned to leave, but stopped. "Oh, I think Dot may be coming by." she said. 

"Oh. Okay." 

"Just a suggestion," AndrAIa said, smiling at the two. "I'd turn those read-me files around so they're right side up before Dot gets here." She gave the two a wink before leaving. 

* * * 

After Dot was done talking to both brothers, Enzo left and Matrix in his room. They two were there when AndrAIa came back. "I thought you two might be together." she said, entering the room. Enzo sat in the chair next to the bed, while Matrix sat on the side of the bed, playing with Gun. Seeing the looks on their faces, she asked, "Am I disrupting something?" 

"Just thinking." Matrix said. 

"About that nightmare you two had earlier?" 

Enzo looked at Matrix, thinking he had told AndrAIa. Matrix looked back at him, shaking his head slightly. They then came to the same conclusion. "Phong." they said in unison. 

"He hooked you up to the RDE." AndrAIa confirmed the question they had in their minds. "What're you going to do?" 

"Quite frankly, I'm getting tired of this." Enzo said, standing. To Matrix, he said, "We can't let him continue to do this to us! We know what his purpose is. We gotta stop him." 

"How?" Matrix asked. 

"Does it matter?" Enzo shot back. "C'mon, Matrix, we beat him once, we can beat him again. This time there's two of us." 

"Enzo, did you see how big he is? How powerful he's gotten?" Matrix asked. 

Enzo was silent for a while, thinking. "Who the spam does he think he is?" he asked, his anger rising. "Coming in here, thinking he's the big dog, sending Bob to the Web, making you lose your childhood, sending Dot running for her life, destroying Mainframe..." Enzo stopped, letting the past torments of Megabyte hang in the air. "No," Enzo said, his temper subsiding into his plan. "This ends. Now." 

Matrix looked at his brother, seeming to get the gist. He loaded Gun and said, "Megabyte's picked the wrong Matrixes to mess with." 

AndrAIa looked at them in shock. "Hey, wait a nano." she said, as Matrix stood and the two waited for her to move. "I hope you guys aren't thinking what I think you're thinking." The two just looked at her. "Of course you're thinking what I think you're thinking." she sighed. "Well, if the two of you are going, count me in." 

"Oh no." Matrix said. 

"You're not coming, AndrAIa." Enzo replied. 

"Oh well then," she said casually. "If I don't go, you don't go. Simple as that. We either leave together or we stay in this room together. Your choice, boys." 

Enzo took a step towards her. "You can't keep us here, Dre." 

AndrAIa showed him her nails, causing him to take a step back. "I beg to differ." she said. 

"We don't have a choice, Enzo." Matrix said. AndrAIa held her hands up. "I'm just going as back-up. I know this is between the two of you and that blue tin can we thought we got rid of. Besides, I think Dot would want someone watching your back." 

Enzo nodded, looking between Matrix and AndrAIa. "Okay," he said. "It's time for Megabyte to meet the Destruction Crew."   
  
  
  


**Chapter 5 - Between a Megabyte and a Hard Place**

Three sprites stood outside of a rather large rundown shed, in Sector 34. "Do you feel it, Enzo?" Matrix asked, as the three approached the shed. 

Enzo nodded his head in response. "He's here." he replied, looking around the area. It was a dark and disturbing place. The only lights that shown were from nearby businesses and one streetlight. 

AndrAIa walked up to the shed, only to find the door securely locked with a complicated door lock. "Well, I hope you boys brought something to get in with." she replied, looking over her shoulder at them. "The door's locked." The brothers approached the door and saw the lock. 

"Great." Matrix mumbled. "Now how are we going to get in?" 

Suddenly, the three found themselves in a familiar black void. "Oh no!" Enzo said, panic in his voice. "We can't be having a dream now!" 

Soon, the three could hear laughter, a slow, demonic chuckle that grew louder and louder. Matrix and Enzo instantly reached for their guns, while AndrAIa extended her trident. "Come on, you big tin can!" Matrix called. "Come out and face us!" 

"All in good time, Boy." His voice seemed to echo through the building, but the three sprites couldn't see him anywhere. "My, my, my." he said. "Look at what the cat dragged in. I see you've grown up, Boy. Tell me, how did you enjoy those games?" 

Matrix gripped Gun tighter at the mention of his life game hopping. "I didn't." he growled. "And you're the reason I was stuck in them!" 

Megabyte laughed. "Don't you mean your failure as a Guardian is the reason you were stuck?" 

"Back off, Megabits!" AndrAIa retorted. She had worked too hard and too long to get Matrix to believe in himself again to have some two bit virus shoot him down. "You're just mad that you couldn't take care of two guardians!" 

"Ah, yes. The game sprite." Megabyte made a low chuckle. "It's a shame I didn't realize how pretty you would be all grown up. And a shame you had to stick by a low grade Guardian." 

"You leave AndrAIa out of this!" the brothers cried. 

"Very well." 

Suddenly without warning, AndrAIa was pushed back through the darkness and found herself outside... 

Surrounded by CPUs. 

"AndrAIa!" Dot called, running over to her, Bob was not far behind. The two helped the game sprite to her feet. 

"Are you okay?" Bob asked, quickly checking for any bruises. 

"I'm fine, I'm fine." AndrAIa said, huffily. She was angry at the fact that the people she loved the most were now left alone to themselves with a dangerous virus out for revenge. She suddenly realized who the people were around her. "What're you doing here?" she asked, somewhat confused. 

"I went to talk to En...Matrix, but he had left and so had Enzo." Dot said. "I finally tracked down Alex and she said they might here and you'd be along for the ride." She gave AndrAIa a stern look. 

"Dot," the woman said, coming to her own defense. "I had to come to make sure they were okay. I knew you wouldn't want them out here by themselves." 

"Well, now they're in_ there _by themselves." Bob commented, staring at the shed. He suspected Enzo and Matrix would get here sooner or later. He just hoped it would be later, but they were in there. With Megabyte. Bob half thought about just blasting the shed with an energy blast, but realized Enzo and Matrix would be in harm's way and he couldn't risk that. "All we can do is wait." he said. "And hope the guys defeat Megabyte before he defeats them." 

* * * 

Inside, Megabyte had finally shown himself. He was only a few feet from Enzo and Matrix. His red eyes were glowing with hatred, his silver patched body was shining in the dark. "Gun, target lock." Matrix said, raising his weapon at Megabyte. Megabyte just smiled as Matrix pulled the trigger. But just before the shot hit, the virus disappeared. 

"Where did he...?" Enzo asked, but before he could finish, both he and Matrix were hit from behind. They fell to the floor, their weapons careening across the room. They rolled over to face Megabyte, who stood over them. His claws extended and he made an attempt to slash Matrix, who quickly rolled away, Megabyte's claws scrapping the ground loudly. Enzo kicked the virus in the knee, causing him to grunt and heap over. Enzo then jumped up and hit the virus to the ground. The lad was quickly on top of him. 

"Get the guns!" he exclaimed to Matrix. 

Megabyte heaved the boy with one hand to a nearby wall. Enzo struck it and struck hard, hitting his head against the metal framing. He slumped down, the room spinning around him. He knew he had to get up, he had to stop Megabyte. Matrix, meanwhile, had grabbed Gun and tried to do a repeat of his earlier attempt. "Gun, target lock." he said, as Megabyte came near him. He fired, shooting the virus in the shoulder, then the chest. Megabyte quickly vanished from sight and was quickly on an unprepared Matrix, stabbing a claw into his shoulder. 

* * * 

Matrix's cries of pain could be heard outside of the shed. Dot quickly turned to the chief officer of the CPUs. "I don't care how you do it, but get into that shed!" she ordered. 

"Dot, I would use an energy blast, but..." Bob started, but was stopped by Dot's finger on his lips. 

"I know." she said, quietly. "I can't risk losing my brothers. Not again." 

"Dot, maybe it's not so bad in there." AndrAIa spoke up. 

She was rubbing the side of her arms. She was trying to stop herself from worrying, but she recognized those screams. Those were Matrix's screams. She was just so mad at herself for being pushed out like that. _If that virus does anything to hurt him,_ she thought. _I swear I'll..._

"AndrAIa, I'm sure everything's fine." Dot's voice broke AndrAIa from her thoughts. She smiled when she felt Dot's hand on her arm. She knew Dot was just as nervous and scared as she was. _I can't lose them again,_ Dot thought. _Not again._

* * * 

Enzo had to shake himself out of it. He could hear Matrix firing at Megabyte and he could now Matrix's cries of pain. Somehow, Enzo had gotten up, found his gun and had fired at Megabyte's back. The virus shot forward, releasing Matrix, who held his shoulder. "I didn't think Guardians would shoot someone in the back." Megabyte said, standing to face Enzo. 

"You're a special case," Enzo replied, sourly. He then shot Megabyte again and again until he was out of bullets. The virus didn't seem to slow, though Enzo could clearly see the energy liquid escaping Megabyte's chest. 

"Out of my way, Copy." Megabyte said, walking towards Enzo. "My business is with Enzo Matrix. Not his backup version." 

Enzo wasn't sure what happened. He knew his anger was rising. He had tried all his life to break way from being known as the other Enzo, the Enzo Matrix Copy, the Back-Up Kid, before he knew it, he had charged the virus, pushing him into the wall behind them. He started to pound on the virus' chest, causing more damage to the wounds already there. Megabyte howled in pain, but managed to push Enzo back with an energy blast, throwing the sprite against the wall on the other side. Megabyte then used his energy to bring the injured sprites before him. The two hovered a little ways off the ground, both coming in and out of consciousness. 

"This little game has been fun." the virus sneered. "But if you think your torment is over, guess again. This battle may be a draw, but I shall win the war. I could delete you pathetic weaklings now, but I have much more in store for you. Our little game isn't over, Boy. You'll know when it ends." With that, the virus sent two energy beams at them, blowing them out the shed and crashing into the CPUs outside. 

* * * 

Seconds passed since the battle between Megabyte and the Matrix brothers. Things were still processing, business-wise, but things weren't quite back to normal. First of all, the nighttime torment of Enzo and Matrix continued, this time growing worse with each passing night. Secondly, the games still weren't coming. Lastly, after seeing the Matrix brothers together throughout their torment, it was surprising to see that they now tried to stay away from each other. If one brother was in the Diner, the other was no where near the area. Enzo was never home if Matrix or AndrAIa stopped by. And they were never in the Principal Office at the same time. These events made everyone close to them very worried indeed. 

AndrAIa decided she wanted answers, so she stole Matrix away from his Chief of Security duties and took him to Borderline Park, on the other end of Baudway. "How's your shoulder?" she asked, as they sat down near the small pond. 

"Doing a little better." Matrix replied. "It's not as bad as it could've been, but I'll definitely live to process another day." He chuckled at his little joke. 

AndrAIa looked at the pond and sighed. She was going to get right to the point. "You know, Enzo," she said, turning to look at him. "Ever since you and Enzo went in to face Megabyte, you two seem to be...on the outs, I guess I should say. Everything's okay with you two, isn't it?" 

Matrix turned to face her, surprised at the question. "Everything's fine between us." he said. He lowered his head and sighed, turning back to look out at the pond again. "I just think we shouldn't spend so much time together, that's all." 

"When did you come to that decision?" AndrAIa asked, in confusion. The boys seemed like they were getting along so well, especially after the bumpy start they had had. They may have been the same sprite, but they were different. Different individuals, going down different paths of life, that they each had helped the other with. So it came as a complete shock to AndrAIa as she heard what Matrix said. 

"I think maybe he's spending too much time with me, that's all." Matrix said again. 

"But why, Enzo?" AndrAIa asked, pressing for more information. _What had happened in that shed?_ "You two are so close. The three of us are! You love him, don't you?" 

"Of course I love him, Andri." the green sprite replied, not taking his eyes off the water. "We're a family. All of us are. I just..." he paused and took a deep breath before continuing. "You should've seen him in there, Andri. I know we were both a little upset, but...when Megabyte called him a copy, he...he lost it. Just shot him again and again and when that didn't work, he charged at him, full force. In a way...in a way, I'm proud of him. He never once backed down, but...his temper's getting as bad as mine. And I can't let that happen. I can't let him turn into me." 

"But Enzo," AndrAIa said, being careful of how she put her arm around him. "You're both two different people. Everyone can see that. Besides, that temper of yours is a family trait. Passed through generations, I'm sure. Dot has it, you have it, I know Sabrina has it...you can't help it if Enzo has it." 

Matrix was silent before speaking up again. "It's not just that." he said quietly. 

"What else then?" 

"Those nightmares are getting worse, Andri." he said, closing his eyes. "They're not about us anymore." 

"What do you mean?" AndrAIa asked, slightly afraid of the answer. 

He turned to look at her and smiled. "Don't worry about it." he said, kissing her. "Just know I'm not going to let anything happen to you or Bri. I promise." He gave her a kiss on the cheek before standing and zipping away. 

AndrAIa sat there, thinking about what he had said. _They're not about us anymore._ That sentence struck her as odd and frightening. She was now worried, worried for everyone around them. Megabyte had tried to destroy them before. She knew he wouldn't hesitate to do it again. 

* * * 

"It's the Late, Late, Late, Late, Getting Later Later Movie!" exclaimed Mike the TV. "Our feature presentation tonight is, I was a Teenage Bino-wolf!" The small set was prancing about in the living room, trying to get someone's attention. 

On the couch, Enzo turned slowly and gave the tv a cold stare. Enzo had only suffered some mild injuries, including a concussion and was ordered to lay down for a few seconds. "Mike, wouldn't you like to entertain Kit instead?" the youth asked, staring at the set. "Where do you think I came from?" Mike asked, jerking his microphone hand down the hall. "Then go bother Bob and Dot." 

"Don't even think about it." came a reply. 

The two looked up to see Bob standing in the living room. He was wearing a black robe over his white and blue boxers. "Mike, don't you have something to cover?" Bob asked, taking a seat on the arm of the couch. 

"Citizens of Mainframe need to know." the set said, thrusting his mic in Enzo's face. "What about Megabyte? Rumors abound that the big, blue virus is back and wrecking havoc! This reporter wants the scoop from the man himself who allegedly fought the tin can. Enzo, any comment?" 

Enzo looked at the tv set before chasing it out into the hallway outside the apartment. He quickly slammed the door shut and headed back to the couch. 

"Thanks." Bob said, grinning. "Our other set was getting a bit jealous." 

Bob looked at the boy who came over and sat next to him, head down, hands brushing away imaginary dirt from the dark purple boxer shorts. "Hey Partner, what's processing?" the guardian asked, getting up and moving to the other side of Enzo. "It's nuttin." the sprite said, still staring down at the carpet. "You know, there used to be a time when you could tell me anything, Enzo." Bob said, gently. "You still can. Nothing's changed." The younger sprite continued to sit with his head down, making circles with his toe. "I noticed you and Matrix have been apart the last couple of seconds." He knew it. Enzo knew that's what Bob wanted to talk about. He was positive Matrix was getting the same lecture from AndrAIa right now. 

"Nothing happened." he said, sighing. "We just needed to process some stuff, that's all. No big file." 

"I didn't say it was." Bob said. 

He knew how difficult it was for both Enzos to sit down and talk about stuff, especially things that deeply affected them. But Bob had told Dot he'd find out what was going on between the two brothers. Enzo sighed again, before crossing his arms over his chest and looking up at the ceiling. "I totally lost it, Bob." he said after a microsecond. "He called me a copy and I lost it." 

"Matrix called you a copy?" Bob asked, a hint of surprise in his voice. 

Enzo shook his head. "Megabyte." he said. "I'm not a copy, Bob...I mean I am, but I'm not." 

"I understand." Bob said. 

"No, you don't." Enzo insisted. "I'm only a copy because of a mistake Matrix did, but I'm a sprite. A real, processing sprite. I've done everything I could, with Matrix's help no less, to be something completely different than what he is, what he became. I like to think I've done that." 

"Is that what's bothering you?" Bob asked, still a little confused at the rant he was hearing. 

"No," Enzo said, impatiently. "This isn't about Matrix. Sure, we're still the same sprite, but that's cool. That's alphanumeric. We know about things that no one could ever understand. He's my brother and I love him. He's family. But...deep down inside, I know he's the real Enzo Matrix. I'm never going to go through the same things he did and in a way I'm glad of that." 

Enzo remained quiet for a nano before sighing and continuing. 

"I'm not a copy, Bob. I've worked too hard to come from out of Matrix's shadow. Everything I've done, everything I'll always do is to prove that I'm someone. I may be Enzo Matrix, but I'm not the Enzo Matrix. I'm like a son trying to leave his father's shadow behind." Enzo chuckled at the parody. "Listen," he said, standing and clicking on his icon attached to his boxers. He instantly changed into his summer clothes. "I'm going out for a while. I'll be home sometime later." 

"Where're you going?" Bob asked. 

"Around." the youth said, running a hand through his hair. 

"Try not to be home late." Bob said, watching Enzo open the door. "She'll have a fit." Enzo nodded before stepping out and closing the door. Bob watched the young man leave and decided Enzo was old enough to take care of himself and headed back to bed. He stopped by Kit's room and saw the boy still up, playing a video game. 

"Isn't it way past your downtime, young man?" Bob asked, causing the boy to jump in bed. 

"Oh hi Dad." Kit replied sheepishly. "I was just..." 

"I bet you were." Bob said, taking a seat on the bed. "Now that you're done, it's time for bed." The boy reluctantly put away his organizer, a gift from his parents last hour, and snuggled down in to bed. 

"Hey Dad?" Kit asked. 

"Yeah?" 

"Are Uncle Enzo and Matrix gonna be okay? I mean, they've been totally low-res lately and now they don't want to spend time with each other." 

"Everything's okay between them, if that's what you mean." Bob said. "They just need to process things for a bit. Away from each other. But I'm sure things will be back to normal soon, okay?" 

The boy nodded and then asked, "Do you think the games will come back, Dad? Cause it's sure been a while since a game hit. Hey, maybe that's why Enzo and Matrix are so offline, cause a game hasn't hit! I bet that's it, huh Dad?" 

"Kit," Bob replied, trying to calm the boy down. "I don't know when a next game cube will hit. Not that it matters. You're not to enter one until you're older. Understood?" 

"Yeah, but Dad," the child insisted. 

"Christopher..." 

"Yes, sir." The boy said, defeated. 

"Look," Bob replied, pushing a piece of stray hair out of the boy's face. "If you're good, maybe I can talk Enzo and Matrix into playing a game of jet ball with you. How about that?" 

"Really?" the boy asked, an excited grin appearing on his face. "Gee, Pop, thanks!" 

"You're welcome." Bob said, a smile also gracing his face. "But you have to be good, okay? And all good little sprites get their downtime before fun, right?" 

"Right." the boy groaned. "But I'm not..." 

A yawn interrupted the boy's sentence. Bob pulled the covers up over his son, kissed his forehead, and left the room. Across the hall, Bob could see Dot sitting in bed, vidwindows surrounding her. He went in the bedroom quietly, shutting the door behind him. He then leaned over and moved some of the vidwindows over, so that he was included in the display. Dot was checking figures for various businesses when she came across a familiar blue vidscreen. 

"Well hello." she said to it. "You're an interesting vidwindow." 

"I'm interactive." it said, smiling at her. 

"Really?" Dot smiled. "What do you do?" 

"I give out kisses." the blue window explained. He then gave her a playful smile. "Want a demonstration?" 

Dot giggled as Bob came near and gave her a kiss on the lips. "You'd better save these." he said, his hand moving towards one screen. "They're saved." Dot replied, giggling as Bob closed the vidscreens around him. "Just as well." Dot said, putting her arms around Bob's neck. "You're the only important one I needed anyways." She pulled him into a passionate kiss. 

"Did you talk to Enzo?" she asked, nuzzling against his neck. 

"Yeah." Bob said. "Everything's fine between him and Matrix. I just think the experience with Megabyte is starting to take it's toll on the two of them." 

"I'm worried, Bob." Dot said, relaxing her grip on him and laying back on a pillow. "What's Megabyte's plan for the whole thing? What's he going to do if he succeeds in driving them both offline? What's in store for us? It feels like every time things start to go good, something goes terribly wrong." 

"I know, I know." Bob said, slipping in bed beside her. "I can't get a point on him. I didn't even know he was in Mainframe again until that dream we saw. Only three people hold the key to this puzzle and that's Enzo, Matrix, and Megabyte. And right now I'm afraid the first two will go in alone again and then what'll happen?" 

The two were quiet for some time, until Dot said softly, "I feel like I'm losing them again." Bob looked at her in confusion. "Enzo and I are pulling apart and Matrix and I are back where we started. I feel like I've been replaced." 

"Dot, you know that's not true." Bob said. "Enzo and Matrix love you." 

"I know." Dot said, forcing a tired smile across her lips. "Every time I start getting close to them, I lose them to some evil and I'm replaced by another woman. First with the game and AndrAIa and now Megabyte and Alex." 

Bob started to say something, but was interrupted by Dot. "She's in love with him. Alex, I mean. You can tell. She's very protective of him." She smirked and looked at Bob. "Remind you of anyone?" 

Bob smiled and nodded. "AndrAIa and Matrix." he said. 

"I'm not upset, Bob, if that's what you think." Dot continued. "I'm glad AndrAIa was there for Enzo. Big Enzo, that is. She's family and I know Alex will be family some day as well. It's just that...it's just that everything I want to know about them both, they're afraid to tell me. I'm their sister and sometimes they're afraid to tell me things. I still don't know everything that happened while Enzo was game hopping and now I don't know what's going on between the two of them and Megabyte." 

Bob put his arm around her and she snuggled closer to him. "They're compiling up, Dot." he said, gently. "But it doesn't mean they don't need you. You're more than a sister to them and you know that. They probably need you more than you think they do." 

"When did you become all wise and knowing?" Dot quipped. 

"Well, I don't hang out with Phong just to play games, you know." he said, kissing her on the forehead. Bob reached over and turned out the light. 

"Maybe I should go talk to Enzo." Dot said. 

"He left." 

"What? Where?" 

"Don't get jumpy." Bob said, sitting up. "He went for a walk. There's four places he could be: Floating Point, Old Man Pearson's, Alex's uncle's place, or Matrix and AndrAIa's. They're neighbors you know." 

"Who are?" Dot asked, still worried. 

"Alex's uncle and Matrix." Bob replied, pulling Dot back to him. "They're a few apartments apart. Don't worry." He kissed her gently on the lips. "Four places he could be." 

"Five if you include..." 

"I'm not." Bob said. "With any luck, he'll be spending the night at Matrix and AndrAIa's." 

* * * 

Matrix laid in bed, staring at the ceiling. He thought he heard Frisket barking at the door a millisecond ago, but he was tired, having woken up from another nightmare. This was deleting him. Tonight it was a nightmare about his family being tortured to death, the night before it was about Dot and Bob being slaughtered. He knew Enzo's were probably just as bad. He was being tormented by bad things happening to Alex. Matrix smiled in the dark. Those two reminded him so much of his and AndrAIa's relationship. That had been the best thing to come with him during those hours game hopping. If he didn't have her there, he didn't know what he would've done. He had done so many bad things during that time. Coming home to Mainframe again and finding Bob had pushed those things out of his head, only to come back and haunt him. But then, things started going right. Bob and Dot got married, Enzo had come to live with them for a time, while Bob and Dot were on their honeymoon and fixing up the apartment. 

That was one of the best times he had in Mainframe since their return. Having Enzo live with them was great. And even after Bob and Dot came back and he and AndrAIa were making plans for their own wedding, Enzo would spend the night and the three of them had the best times together. And when Enzo went to the Guardian Academy, it was him and AndrAIa who got most of the emails, worries over certain games and combat stuff. He remembered when Enzo sent the two of them an email about a girl he had met, Alexandria Hewlett. Matrix knew Enzo had a slight crush on AndrAIa. He was, after all, his younger self, but Alex seem to have made him forget about his new sister-in-law. Megabyte couldn't have picked a worse time to show his ugly face. He just hoped the next time they tangled, he would have the upper hand. 

"You're thinking again." a voice said, breaking Matrix out of his thoughts. He looked down at the sprite sleeping in his arms. 

"Shouldn't you be asleep?" he asked, stroking her hair. 

"The lack of your tuneful snoring woke me up." AndrAIa quipped. 

She moved her head from his chest and kissed his cheek. "What're you thinking about now, Lover?" she asked. 

"Enzo and Alex." he replied truthfully. 

AndrAIa made a small laugh. "What a bad case of puppy love, huh?" she said. 

"Speaking of Enzo," Matrix said, moving so he could look at her. "I was thinking...maybe Sabrina needs a little brother." AndrAIa looked at him. 

"You know, Lover," she said. "You have a surprise for me every second. And where exactly did that come from?" 

Matrix shrugged. "I've been thinking about for a while, I guess." he said. "This thing with Megabyte has me thinking about a lot of things actually." He looked at her. "But I'll put it out of my head if..." 

AndrAIa silenced him with a kiss. 

"I've been thinking about that myself." she said. "Things have been going great, up to now of course, but still. We've been through hard times before and we've always come out on top. This is no different." She laid her head back on his chest. "Besides, we said we didn't want just one child. I think it would be great if Bri had a little brother or sister." 

She smiled playfully, her hand moving under his t-shirt. 

"I'll...have to have some help making one though." Matrix chuckled before pulling her towards him and kissing her passionately. Suddenly, a small scream was heard. 

"Daddy!" 

The two instantly broke away and got out of bed, knowing the small voice attached to the plea. They met Enzo in the hallway, coming towards them sleepily. All three burst in to the little girl's bedroom. There was Sabrina, sitting straight up in bed, her face wet with tears, and outstretching her little pink pajama arms out for her father. 

"Daddy!" the girl cried again. Matrix rushed to the bed and picked the girl up. 

"What's wrong?" AndrAIa asked, sitting next to Matrix on the bed. Enzo kneeled down in front of the father and daughter. 

"I had bad dream." Sabrina replied, in between sniffles. 

Matrix wiped her tears and kissed the girl on the cheek. "What was it about?" he asked, softly. Sabrina sniffed and made a soft cry before looking at her father. "Come on." Matrix pleaded. "You can tell me." The girl hugged her father and started to cry softly. "There...there was...was this monster." the girl said. "What kind of monster, sweetie?" AndrAIa probed. Sabrina sniffed a little against Matrix's shoulder before continuing. "He was big and mean and...and blue silver." 

The adults in the room quickly looked at each other. 

"What else?" Matrix asked, huskily. 

"He...he...had scary red eyes and he said...he said that he was the bogeysprite and he was going to take me away." The girl burst into tears again, while Matrix tried to calm her down. "Don't let him take me away, Daddy! Please!" 

He moved the girl to look at him and he brushed away the tears. "You know I would never let anything happen to you, right?" Sabrina nodded. "So everything's gonna be okay. I'm here and Mommy's here and Enzo and we won't let that bogeysprite come get you and take you away from us." Sabrina seemed to calm a bit, but still looked upset. "Do you want to sleep with Mommy and me tonight?" 

The girl shook her head no and said in a tough tone, "Ima big girl." 

"Sure are." 

Matrix kissed the girl on the cheek, lifted her in the air and laid her back down in bed. AndrAIa tucked her in. "You go back to sleep, okay?" she whispered. Sabrina nodded. "I love you." AndrAIa said, kissing the girl on the forehead. "Love you too, Mommy." Sabrina said, smiling up at her. She even had her mother's smile. "Goodnight Angelface." Matrix said, tickling the girl, who laughed joyfully. "Don't you worry about a thing." 

"Night Princess." Enzo said, giving his niece one last tickle. 

"Goodnight, Daddy. Goodnight Zo." 

The girl snuggled under the covers and soon drifted off to sleep. AndrAIa and Enzo stayed a little while, watching the girl, but soon turned when they saw Matrix stormed out of the room and back into his own bedroom. They were right behind him. "That basic son of a null!" Matrix exclaimed, causing both AndrAIa and Enzo to utter a, "Shh!" while Enzo closed the door. "It's one thing when he's coming after me and Enzo, but now he's after my daughter!" 

"Matrix, be quiet!" AndrAIa hissed, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. "You're going to wake Sabrina up again!" 

Matrix paced up and down the room for a while, before stopping and looking at Enzo. 

"When did you get here?" he asked, gruffly. 

"I was in the neighborhood." the youth responded, running a hand through his hair. 

AndrAIa just smiled. She knew he was with Alex before coming over. "I didn't feel like walking back to Dot's. Besides, I do have a key code, you know." 

"That must've been you Frisket was growling at." Matrix surmised. 

"Yeah." Enzo said, rather embarrassed. "I kinda woke him up." 

"Back to the problem at hand," AndrAIa said. "What're we going to do?" 

The room was silent for a while, the three sprites trying to think of an answer to their problem. AndrAIa looked between both Matrix and Enzo and decided it was their choice on the matter. "I'm going to check on Sabrina." she said, standing. She then left the two to talk. Neither said anything for a while, Matrix sat on the bed and Enzo started to pace. "They're getting worse, you know." he said, stopping mid-pace. 

"I know." Matrix replied, sadly, his eyes not leaving the floor. 

"Maybe...maybe we shouldn't handle this problem by ourselves anymore." Enzo said quietly. 

He was rubbing his arm, a nervous tick he got while at the Academy. Matrix looked up at his younger self and studied the young sprite for a minute. "Tomorrow morning we're going back to that shed." he said after a microsecond of thought. "Until then, get some sleep, huh?" 

"Sure." Enzo replied, sarcastically. "That should be as easy as falling off an analog." 

With that, Enzo headed back to his couch bed, while Matrix continued to sit for a while. He wasn't about to let anything happen to his family. Megabyte was making it personal now. Very personal. "You just wait, Megabyte." he sneered quietly. "The next time we meet will be the last time we ever meet again." 

* * * 

AndrAIa was, as always, the first one up the next second. She left a softly snoring Matrix in bed, checked on Sabrina, who was nestled down under her covers, and passed a sleeping Enzo on the couch on her way to the kitchen. She poured herself a glass of juice before starting the java maker for Matrix. It was eerily quiet in the apartment. AndrAIa had gotten use to the peace and quiet the second brought, being the first one up in the morning did that to a person, but with the recent events dealing with Megabyte had given the peace and tranquility of the quiet morning a sinister feel, as if while they slept, Megadip was planning for their demise. Despite what Matrix and Enzo said, they did need help in this matter, especially now that Sabrina was another target. 

AndrAIa decided she'd head over to the Principal Office after breakfast, which she figured she could go ahead and start fixing. The smells and sounds from the kitchen quickly brought the sleeping Matrixes out of their dreams. Enzo was the first in the kitchen. "Morning Zo." AndrAIa replied, turning to see the teen walk through and take a seat at the table. He half-heartedly gave a wave in response. His hair was tumbled and he looked as though he was just sleep walking, a fact confirmed when he placed his head on the table and continued to sleep. AndrAIa rolled her eyes. Though the two brothers had separate identities now, it was the little things that pointed out they were the same code, the same sprite. 

Matrix was the second causality of the morning, making a grunt that sounded like a greeting, before taking a seat at the table next to Enzo. He too quickly placed his arms on the table, then his head, and was back to sleep in no time. "Are the two of you planning on sleeping through breakfast or are you just going to have the food dreamt to your stomachs?" AndrAIa quipped at the two. She got mumbled replies from both of them, unsure if they were replies to her little remark or if they were retorts. AndrAIa smiled, pouring a cup of java for Matrix and then getting a glass of juice for Enzo. "Oh boys," she said, sweetly, placing both cups in front of each. "You know it's not polite to sleep at the table." Matrix sighed, bringing himself to sit upright in his chair. He gave a yawn before turning to look at Enzo. 

"Wake up." he groaned, kicking the younger man in the leg. The act caused Enzo to bolt up in his seat, looking around alert. When he realized it was only Matrix who attacked him, the boy pushed his older self in the arm. "Stop." he said, amidst a yawn. The two began to tiredly hit each other until they heard a loud, "Daddy!" 

Sabrina hopped into her father's lap and hugged him. "What's a..." Matrix started, but was quickly cut off. "Daddy,couldIgoandplay outside? IpromiseIwon'tgetintotrouble. OrIcouldgooverandbotherKit. HehateswhenIdothat, buthelikesmecausewe'refamilysoIwas wondering..." 

"Whoa, slow down." Matrix urged, causing AndrAIa to laugh. 

"Who does that remind you of?" she snickered. Matrix gave her a slight glare before turning back to their daughter. 

"So can I, Daddy?" the girl asked again. 

"You're sure you're alright?" he asked. "I mean, after last night, I..." 

"Silly Daddy." the girl said, smiling and giving her father a kiss on the nose. 

A sudden bark gave the girl a slight distraction. "F'isket!" she cried, hoping off her father's lap and chasing the big red and yellow dog. Cries of laughter rang through out the apartment as Sabrina and Frisket chased each other around. Matrix watched them as they got to the living room. The two stopped as Sabrina gave the large dog a hug around his neck. His gaze turned to Enzo, who was also watching the scene. "After breakfast." Matrix mouthed, once he got Enzo's attention. The young sprite nodded slowly, remembering their conversation from the night before. 

"Here ya go, boys." AndrAIa announced as she set a plate in front of each of them. She set two more plates down and called her daughter. "Sabrina, breakfast!" 

"I think I'll take a shower." Enzo said suddenly, standing up. 

"Aren't you going to eat breakfast?" AndrAIa asked, surprised at the abruptness. 

"I'll eat it in the bathroom." Enzo replied quickly, picking up the plate and silverware before heading towards his destination. 

"Mind if I steal the shower after him?" Matrix asked. 

AndrAIa shook her head, looking at Matrix questioningly. Something was going on between those two, but she'd have to wait until later to find out. 

Enzo showered quickly and waited for Matrix in the living room while he showered and the girls finished breakfast. Sabrina left with Frisket and was told by her mother to be at the Principal Office in an millisecond, telling Frisket to watch her. She then headed towards the bedroom and was slightly surprised when she noticed Enzo pacing the living room. He wasn't dressed in his normal t-shirt and shorts that second. He was wearing black jeans, that were slightly baggy and a black belt. Tucked into his pants was a white muscle shirt, showing off his reward for a daily workout, and finishing off the ensemble were black laced boots, covered by the pants. Absent was his trade mark cabbie hat. 

"Don't you look different?" AndrAIa commented, startling Enzo a bit. 

"Meaning what?" he asked, suspiciously. 

AndrAIa shrugged, saying as she headed into the bedroom, "I haven't seen you in a muscle shirt and pants for a while." 

"Oh." 

Enzo began to pace again, only stopping to yell at Matrix to hurry it up. Matrix too wore a different look about him that second. He also wore black jeans and black boots, but he chose to wear a dark blue t-shirt tugged nicely into his jeans. After grabbing Gun, he met his younger self in the living room. 

"Where're you two headed?" 

The two turned, obviously recognizing the voice. "We're gonna head over to the P.O. for a nano." Matrix replied. "I'm heading there myself." AndrAIa said, stretching her arms. "Give me a micro to shower and..." 

"No!" the men exclaimed, causing the game sprite to jump at the ferocity of the word. "Dre, we're only gonna be gone for a nano, maybe a micro." Enzo said, his voice calm. "You don't have to go with us." 

"Guys, I'm heading there anyways." AndrAIa replied, breaking away from her startlement. "We can do something when we're done." 

"AndrAIa, we're coming back, okay?" Matrix said, his voice forceful. He didn't enjoy lying to her, but he didn't want her near them. Just in case. "We'll be right back." 

With that, the two grabbed their zipboards and were out the door. AndrAIa knew something was up. She opened a vidwindow and dialed a number. Kit's face appeared instantly. "Hello? Oh hi, Aunt Andi." he said, mouth full of food. "Christopher, don't talk with your mouth full." replied Dot, somewhere in the vicinity, but definitely off screen. 

"Hey Kit." AndrAIa said, giving the boy a smile. "Your parents home?" 

The boy nodded, apparently taking the time to swallow. "Yeah." he said, picking up an energy shake and taking a drink. "Hey, are Enzo and Matrix there? Dad said they'd play jet ball with me today." 

"Sorry Kitten," AndrAIa said, smiling at the grimace Kit made at her nickname for him. "They just left." 

"Oh." the boy said, his face falling from disappointment. 

"Maybe later, huh?" AndrAIa asked, hoping to cheer the boy up. 

Kit's smile was quickly replaced as his father moved into the picture. "Hi Andri." Bob said, noticing the game sprite. "So you were just gonna talk to her all second and not tell me she called?" Bob asked, turning to his son. There was laughter in his voice, but Bob always made it seem like he was serious. "No," Kit said, defensively. "I was gonna tell you she called. I can't help it if we were planning on something. You should always be prepared, Dad. Don't you know that?" The comment made AndrAIa laugh and Bob roll his eyes. 

"That's definitely Dot speaking." AndrAIa said, trying to control her laughter. 

"I heard that!" 

"If I'm not careful, I could have another Dot on my hands." Bob quipped. 

"Hey!" Dot replied, standing behind the two. "Hi AndrAIa." she said, smiling at her sister. She then went into Mother Mode. "Doesn't someone need to clean his room?" 

"But Dot," Bob whined. "You said that...Oh!" he said, finally understanding the direction of the question. He pointed at his son and said, "She's talking to you!" 

"Mooom..." 

"No buts, mister." Dot said. "Room. Clean. Now." 

Kit reluctantly said goodbye to AndrAIa and trudged off to his room. "And no playing games on your organizer!" Dot called behind him. "How does she know about _that_?" Kit mumbled surprised. "Because I'm your mother and I know all!" Dot quipped back. 

"How does she _do _that?" Kit complained, walking into his room. 

"Something the matter, Andri?" Bob asked, remembering that she had called. 

"Well, no, I don't think so." she said, sounding slightly upset. "I hope not. Look, do you guys mind meeting me at the P.O.?" 

"Not at all." Dot replied, curious as to what the circumstances might be. 

AndrAIa nodded, then said, "Okay. Give me a microsecond and I'll meet you guys over there. AndrAIa out." 

The screen closed, leaving Bob and Dot in confusion. "I wonder what that's all about." Dot mused. "I don't know." Bob said, sipping on a cup of java. "The only way is to meet her there." 

"Bob, you don't think..." Dot paused, as if asking the question was difficult. "You don't think something happened to Enzo, do you?" 

"Which one?" 

"Both of them!" 

Bob took Dot in his arms and hugged her. "Dot, both Enzo and Matrix are big boys now." he said, rubbing her back with his hand. "Besides, AndrAIa would never just sit around and wait to tell us if something did happen. You know that." 

"I know, I know." Dot said, her head resting on his shoulder. "This whole Megabyte thing has got me worried for them. It would just be a sick twist of fate to finally gotten you all back, just to lose you again to that overgrown power monger." 

Dot for silent, giving Bob a slight squeeze. 

"I can't lose you all. Not again." 

* * * 

"So just who _is _this Megabyte guy?" 

Alex had arrived early at the Principal Office, hoping to run into Enzo. He hadn't been himself last night, but then again, he hadn't been himself this whole entire vacation! Enzo hadn't really told her much about what had happened with this Megabyte dude, on the account that he wasn't even sure. He had just heard stories. Only Matrix knew the full extent and Alex wasn't quite comfortable at asking the big guy anything, let alone something that obviously haunted his past. So she did what most people did. 

She went and talked to Phong. 

"My child," Phong started, whirling about the war room. "The stories about Megabyte are very disturbing indeed, especially to those of us that lived through his villainy." 

"Well, who is he?" Alex asked. She knew she was treading into deep water here, but she had to know. That was her weakness. Curiosity did delete the binome. 

"I assume that young Enzo Matrix has told you some things about him." Phong said, picking up two cups of cocoa and handing one to Alex.   
"Well, he said that Megabreath was a virus and that he, along with his sister Hexadecimal, caused some problems with Mainframe." 

"Problems is an understatement, Alexandria." Phong said, his voice growing cold. 

Phong remembered the "problems" those two viruses did together, the end result nearly costing all of Mainframe. "Well, I know that Enzo doesn't know about what happened during the Web Wars." Alex said, sipping her cocoa. After the reaction Phong had given her, she was regretting even bringing the subject up. But she_ had _to know. She had to know what sick psycho was playing processor games with her Enzo! 

"Ah yes," Phong said, remembering that time. "Mainframe has come back from that horrible time. Loved ones were lost, but new allies and friends were gained, and we eventually came back to where we had been before." Alex looked at the wise old sprite in confusion. That really didn't explain what she had just asked. Phong seemed to sense her confusion and continued. "But I'm getting ahead of myself." he said, whirling back to where she sat, cocoa in his hand. 

"It's hard for us to speak of that time, you must understand. It seems confusing to one who was not here." 

"I remember what it was like when Daemon was controlling the Net." 

Alex had lost her mother during that battle and swore she would be a Guardian, if not to make her mother proud, but to right the wrongs Daemon had caused. "My uncle came here after the whole aftermath." 

"Many people came here after Daemon was destroyed." Phong said. Shaking his head, he replied, "But again, we are getting ahead of ourselves. As I was saying, Megabyte caused pain to those in Mainframe. Most of us still had not gotten over the Twin City disaster." 

"Enzo told me about that." Alex said, solemnly. "He and Dot's parents were killed in that blast, right?" 

"That is correct, child." Phong said, slightly reliving the horror of that night. 

He swore to his friends that he would make sure Dot and Enzo would be taken care of. "I still doubt the Matrix children have gotten over the loss after all this time. But I digress. It was soon after, Megabyte was discovered in Mainframe. His goal was just to enter the Super Computer, but his attempts to try and coerce me into giving him the codes failed countless times. That's when our Guardian came to us..." 

_Phong remembered the second like it was yesterday. Straight from a portal, dressed in his Guardian uniform, Robert Lan stepped in the middle of traffic on Baudway. He quickly found the Principal Office and was shocked to learn he was in Mainframe. "Are you **sure **this isn't Omacron?" He asked, shocked to learn he had bumbled his first assignment. But somehow Phong persuaded him to stay on as Guardian and Bob reluctantly agreed, saying he would stay and fix some things then make his way to his scheduled system. And things would've been so cut and dry if he hadn't met Dot Matrix, owner of several businesses in Mainframe, including her own restaurant, Dot's Diner. After that, leaving wasn't in the plan._

"Megabyte threw everything he could at us, but we still defeated him time and time again. That is...until the start of the Web Wars." 

"What exactly happened, Phong?" Alex asked tenderly. 

She could see Phong's mood had changed. Talking about Dot and Bob and everyone made him happy, but certain things, like the destruction of the Twin City and the Web Wars made him sad, angry at times. Alex was pushing and pushing and in the back of her head, she knew she should probably stop. It wasn't_ that _important, was it? She shook her head clear. Yeah. It was that important. 

"It all started with the creature known as Nullzilla." Phong replied, quietly. "A web creature was sent to Mainframe. Now we know that it was Daemon who sent the creature, but at the time we were unaware..." 

_ Phong had made the robot out of boredom, a slight hobby he'd been taking on. Hey, he was in the P.O. second in and second out. He **needed **a hobby! And with Megabyte trying to take over Mainframe, he figured it couldn't hurt to have it around. Boy, was he right! When they had learned about Nullzilla, he had told everyone he had a plan of action, a way of separating the nulls from Hexadecimal. So he got Bob, Dot, Enzo, Frisket, and Mike the TV to suit up and pilot the robot. He wished he had his camera that second. The five looked so cute in their uniforms and AndrAIa was too precious when she suited up and headed out to deliver the secret weapon._

"The web creature then found Megabyte. He and Hexadecimal merged together, becoming Gigabyte. We immediately went into action and separated the two viruses, but the problems were just beginning. A portal was now open from the Web and into Mainframe. Our Guardian had a most difficult task. He needed the power and support of the viruses in order to close the portal. No one thought it was a good idea, but Bob took responsibility for the decision. And it cost our Guardian and our system..." 

_Phong had not been there, but had heard about what happened to Bob. For Dot, seeing the look on Bob's face as he was thrown into the capsule and sent into the Web deleted her every second for the hour they fought against Megabyte's tyranny. And then having to tell Enzo, that his hero, his friend had been betrayed by ones that he sought to help drove her pain. Phong had made her Command.Com during that time, knowing she was the right sprite for the job. But he was worried about her. He had known Dot Matrix for a long time and knew her habits. If she was plagued by problems, she would hide them under a pile of work and work hard and longer than anyone else. This resilience made him proud of her and yet worried for her at the same time. She quickly was faced with more than just Bob's sudden departure, but now Enzo had the Guardian protocol and she would have to watch as he went into games, with only AndrAIa and Frisket to watch him._

"Everyone was hit hard with Bob's departure, but none so much as Dot and Enzo." 

"Wow." Alex said, softly. "Heavy." 

She took a moment to sip her cocoa before asking another question. "So this is basically Matrix we're talking about now, right?" 

"Correct." Phong said, wheeling over to retrieve another cup of cocoa. "This is where our young Guardian turned into the renegade you know as Matrix..." 

_ Phong didn't think Dot could handle anymore surprising news during those first minutes after Bob had left. Enzo, AndrAIa, and Frisket had just entered the game and they all waited in the War Room for the outcome. And then those dreaded words rang out through Mainframe..._

**_GAME OVER. THE USER WINS._**

_ The room was silent for a few microseconds, until Dot uttered a quiet, "Enzo...no..." Phong couldn't believe his ears either. After that, Dot was a work machine. Burying her pain underneath her duties as Command.Com. Her family was now gone. Mouse did manage to talk to Dot and things seemed to be alright for her, but Phong could tell, he knew things were not alright in her processor. She was blocking the pain, hiding it from the staff and from him. Several times he had caught her crying in her office, saying lack of sleep was making her emotional. But Phong knew. He knew of her heartache and he knew she was slowly losing hope of ever seeing Bob or Enzo again._

"I can not begin to tell you, child, how it feels to see one of your friends slowly delete inside from pain." Phong was quiet for a few nanos, thinking back to that terrible time in Mainframe history. 

"Listen, Phong, if you want me to stop..." 

Alex didn't think Megabyte was that big of a deal. She was quickly learning she was wrong. "No, no, child," Phong said, shaking his head. He then smiled at her. "I sensed there was a reason for your questions when you came to see me. I think perhaps it's about young Enzo, correct?" Alex blushed slightly. "Well, I..." she stammered. "I'm just worried about him, Phong. This whole thing with him and Matrix and Megabyte...I wanna know what this virus has on them, why he's terrorizing them. I mean, what could they have possibly done to get the thing so mad?" 

"That's an awfully long story, Alex. Are you sure you wanna sit through it?" 

Phong and Alex turned to see AndrAIa, Bob, and Dot walking through the door. The question had been asked by Bob as the trio walked in. The three now stood with Phong, looking at the girl. "I guess I'm a little over my head, huh?" Alex asked, sheepishly. "No, no," Dot sighed. "We're all in the same boat, trying to figure out Megabyte's agenda. It seems fitting to discuss it in the War Room. Apply titled, don't you think?" she asked, sarcastically, the comment made more to AndrAIa then anyone else. 

"Well Phong," Bob replied, placing his hand on the wise one's shoulder. "You'd been saying?" 

* * * 

"Well?" 

Matrix and Enzo stood in Sector 34, searching around the shed they had been in several nights ago. Upon opening the shed, they found it was nothing like the bleak blackness they were in on that night. It was an ordinary shed and the lock was broken off. "Are you sure this is the right shed?" Matrix asked. The two had been searching the shed and were surprised by the simplicity of it. "Do you see any _other _sheds around?" Enzo retorted. Both were frustrated and tired. "He's not here, Enzo." Enzo replied, walking away from the shed. "We can feel him. He's not here. What if he's not in Mainframe anymore?" 

"Why would he leave?" Matrix asked. 

"We made him look like Swiss processed cheese!" Enzo exclaimed. 

He wasn't happy with the outcome either. Why would Megabyte leave, unless of course he couldn't come back. "Maybe he deleted from the wounds." Matrix glared at the young sprite. "Do you really believe that?" 

"At this point, I'm not sure." the young sprite sighed. After the seconds of nightmares and torture, he couldn't believe after one battle, Megabyte was gone for good. But if he was still here, where was he? 

* * * 

"So exactly what does this Megabyte virus want?" 

The five sprites sat around the large counsel table. With the help of Bob, Dot, and AndrAIa, Phong was able to tell Alex the whole story involving Megabyte and the story had ended there. "Obviously, he's got a grudge against Matrix and Enzo." AndrAIa said, studying her nails. "But why Enzo?" Alex asked. "From what you guys told me, Megabreath should only have a problem with Matrix. Why all of a sudden does he feel he has to go after both of them?" 

"Megabyte's funny like that." Bob said. 

It was supposed to be a joke, but the tone of his voice didn't make it seem so. The four of them telling Alex the history of Mainframe did not put them in a very joking mood. Voices coming from the hall stopped the chatter inside, until the group saw Matrix and Enzo stop in the doorway. 

"Having a meeting?" Matrix asked, raising his eyebrow. 

"Pity we weren't invited." Enzo replied, sarcastically. 

He and Matrix made their way over to two chairs in between Alex and AndrAIa. "Where've you two been?" AndrAIa asked, a tint of anger in her voice. "I thought you were going to meet me here." 

"Stopped off at Al's for an energy shake." Enzo replied, taken aback with the tone from AndrAIa. He and Matrix were not in the mood. "Is that a crime, AndrAIa?" 

"Not yet." She replied, making sure Enzo took note of her poison nails. 

"My children," Phong intervened. "I sense that we all are not in the best of moods, but it is important that we push past that to talk about our main problem." 

"We have a problem?" Matrix asked, placing his hands behind his head. 

"Yeah," Bob replied, sarcastically. "Our order of food from Al's is way later than it should be." Bob's joke was met with an icy stare from Matrix. 

"People, please focus!" Phong exclaimed, causing the group to jump. 

"Matrix and Enzo, we had been discussing the actions of Megabyte over our history of Mainframe." 

This statement caused both brothers to stare at Phong. "What for?" Matrix asked, defensively. It was rare for anyone, especially someone in this group to ask about the affairs of Megabyte. His arrival back to the system was not something he wanted to discuss. "I kinda asked about it." Alex said, quietly, causing Enzo and Matrix to turn and glare at her. "What for?" Enzo asked, his anger rising. He and Matrix had the situation under control. He hoped. He really didn't want the others involved. 

"I have a right to know, Enzo." Alex said, shooting the look back at him. 

"No, you don't." Matrix flatly replied. 

"Yes, she does." Dot replied, causing everyone to look at her. "Just like we've got the right to know what's going on between you two and Megabyte. The nightmares are common knowledge now, as well as that fight the three of you were engaged in. Now, as Command.Com of this system, I have a right to know if a virus who previously caused problems is back to repeat the process." 

The room went slight, waiting for someone to speak. Bob took the step. "Only the two of you can answer that for us." he said, quietly. Alex knew she had opened a can of nulls. Apparently the Megabyte topic was closer to everyone's heart than she realized. All she wanted were answers to questions Enzo couldn't or wouldn't answer. 

"He wants revenge." Enzo replied softly. "After that, I don't know. We're obviously at the top of his list." 

"You and Matrix?" Bob asked. 

"The whole Matrix family." Matrix sighed. 

Dot looked in concern at her brothers. 

_The whole Matrix family..._

That included her, as well as Bob and AndrAIa, not to mention their children. 

"The nightmares are getting worse," Enzo said. 

"And last night Megabyte started giving them to Sabrina." Matrix replied. 

"Don't you see?" Enzo asked, his eyes closed, his breathing slowing. "We can't let you guys get involved. The nightmares aren't about us anymore." 

The room was again silent.   


  


**Chapter 6 - The Virus Rollercoaster**

Megabyte stood in the shadows of an alley, right outside Al's Wait and Eat. He needed energy and where else to find binomes who wouldn't be easily missed. He had lost of lot his own energy, thanks to those infernal Matrix brothers. _Brothers. _The virus had to laugh. The situation was utterly ridiculous. They weren't brothers. THEY WERE THE SAME DAMN SPRITE! Surely he thought those _Mainframers _knew the truth. And even if they didn't, it wouldn't matter. The Matrix family were doomed. He still had his spies and when they informed them the Guardian was now a member of the family, it only seemed to spur Megabyte's rage. He wasn't content in taking the lousy system anymore. He wanted those responsible for his pain to feel it as well. It was a shame Mouse wasn't in town. How Megabyte longed to see her...talk to her...delete her. But she would be back, no doubt about it. For now, he had to gain more energy. 

A one binome staggered out of Al's, apparently having one too many I/O shots. He was heading back to his apartment and decided to take the alley as a shortcut. Sector 31 was always dark, day or night. It was the dark section of a usually bright Mainframe and right now, the little binome found himself sloshing through the darkened alleyway. He stopped when he thought he heard something behind him. He heard what sounded like trash cans moving. He looked around, sobering pretty quick. He took a fighting stance, ready to attack who or whatever wanted to attack him. He heard the sound again and turned around... 

Only to be frightened by an alley cat. 

"Stupid cat." the binome slurred, turning back to go home. 

He didn't seem to care about the shadow that was creeping over him, until it was too late. 

_ My, my, _Megabyte thought, the binome's energy combining with his own. It still wasn't enough for what he planned. He knew he hit a mark when he appeared before the little girl. He could feel how scared she was and how angry the Boy would be. He didn't want to deal with descendants. He would wipe the name Matrix from the very place he heard the name. He thought he had succeeded when he destroyed the Twin City, only to be haunted and hunted by the children of that Dr. Matrix. Even in the worst seconds of Megaframe, the worst minutes, the knowledge that he had Dot Matrix where he wanted her was trilling enough, without the portal to the Super Computer. The loss of Bob and her brother had given him a peaceful slumber during that time...only to to give blistering pain when it was discovered Bob and the Boy had come back and with the help of Mouse sent him into the Web, never to be seen or heard from again. But like Bob, he came back. It may have taken him hours, but he did come back. He knew that super virus wouldn't dent them. That was _his_ job, **_his_** right! So he waited. And wait he did, allowing those web creatures to feed off his body, allowing them to merge with him, allowing him to be stronger, bigger... 

And meaner. 

He would have his revenge on Mainframe. On the Guardian. On the Command.Com. On the Boy. And now on his Copy. 

Oh yes. He would have his revenge. But first, he would need energy, then he would put his plan in action. 

* * * 

"So, what're we going to do?" 

The group of sprites sat around the War Room, trying to come up with ideas on how exactly to stop Megabyte. Matrix and Enzo refused to go into details about what their new nightmares would holding, but from the intense sadness and anger in their eyes, the group didn't have to guess much what was tormenting the brothers. "Hey," AndrAIa replied, snapping her tan fingers. "Maybe we should fight a virus with a virus!" 

"NO!" Matrix roared. 

It didn't take a genius to know they were now on the subject of Hexadecimal. The former virus was a sprite now and certainly had proved her worth over the hours. "Look, Hex may be one of us now, but I don't think the present situation requires her...talents." Enzo said, trying to be diplomatic about the whole thing. Truth was, he and Matrix never really did find Hex as one of them, but they wouldn't dismiss her "helpfulness" with various problems they had faced, especially in the war with Daemon. "We don't need Hex's help." Matrix said, folding his arms across his massive chest. "Not this time." The room as again silent, the seven sprites desperately trying to think of a plan of action. 

"We can always get Hack and Slash to watch our backs." Enzo said. The bumbling duo did come in handy once in a while. 

Everyone at the table just sat and looked at the young Guardian in training. 

"Moving on." AndrAIa replied, giving Enzo the answer to his question. 

Before the group could start thinking again, a small one binome with glasses came over to stand next to Enzo. The little thing was so quiet, Dot hardly noticed him. "Yes Specky?" she asked tiredly. The little binome cleared his throat. "Sorry to disturb you, sir, but we have someone trying to gain communications access." he said. 

"Do you know who it is?" Bob asked. 

"Hey, maybe it's Mouse." Enzo said, his frown turning into a smile. He then snapped his fingers. "That's what we need!" he said joyfully. "We need Mouse!" 

"Well unless this thing is connected to familiar hacking, I doubt it." Dot replied. 

She then turned her attention back to Specs. "Open a line of communication for here. It could be another system asking for help." 

"From what?" Alex asked. The war with Daemon was long over. 

"That is what we must wait for, my child." Phong replied, whirling around to one of the consoles. "Dot," he said after a nano. "Message is being patched through." A large vidwindow popped up cattacorner to the table so everyone was able to view it. There was nothing but blackness on the screen. 

"This is Dot Matrix, Command.Com of system Mainframe." Dot replied, leadership and respect sounding her voice. "State your name and function." 

All was quiet on the other end. Just when Dot was going to ask Phong if the message was patched through correctly, someone answered. "Come, come now." said a familiar voice. Enzo gulped. "Have I been gone for so long you've all forgotten me?" 

"Oh no." Enzo muttered, panicky standing, along with Matrix. 

"Oh well." the voice continued. "If it makes you all that happy. My function is virus and my name is..." Megabyte's face appeared in the vidwindow, the black backing causing his look to hold more evil in it than anyone had ever seen. "Megabyte!" 

Alex looked at the vidwindow. So this was the infamous Megabyte. His face against the black did make him look scary. She quickly glanced around the room. Bob, Dot, and Phong all had a look of horror and shock on their faces, AndrAIa too had a slight look of shock, seeing as she never really _saw_ Megabyte in their confrontation. Enzo looked as though he was going to be ill and Matrix, though he tried to do his best to look like the tough renegade he'd been in the games, looked as though he would crumble as well. 

"What?" Megabyte replied coolly. "Nothing to say? Not even a "glad you're back, Megs."? No "how was your trip?"? I must say, that rather hurts me. Right here." The virus tapped his icon, as if he was feeling hurt in an unsympathetic heart. The gesture caused both Enzos to lay a protective hand over their own icons. 

"What're you doing back in Mainframe?" Dot asked, finally snapping out of her reverie. 

"Why Dot, I came back to see how you all are doing!" Megabyte responded cheerfully. "We haven't seen each other since that dreadful web creature incident. Tell me, is your little rebel hacker around?" 

"No," Phong replied, knowing full well what the virus wanted with her. "Thank the User." 

"Well, Mouse is another story." Megabyte replied, waving a dismissive hand as though the topic never came up. "But back to all of us. Bob, I see you're still here, something that I'll have to right. And Dot! Still Command.Com I see! Leading your little...Mainframers to victory against the big, bad super virus. How cute." His gaze fell on Phong, who stood next to AndrAIa. "Phong, you're still processing?" he asked. "I don't know how. Something to fix later I suppose. Ah, the lovely game sprite. Sorry you had to run, but my discussion was with..." the virus then turned his attention to his victims of late. "The Boy." Megabyte said, with a light chuckle. 

"Tell me...how is your daughter sleeping these nights?" 

Matrix made a lunge for the vidwindow, but was held back by AndrAIa. "You stay away from her!" he exclaimed. "But of course." the virus replied, snickering as he turned his attention back to the room. That's when he noticed Alex. "And who is this?" he asked, looking the young woman over. "Adding more rebels to your little group?" 

"Don't even think it, Megabreath!" shouted Enzo, his terror quickly turning to anger. "You keep away from her!" 

Megabyte glanced towards Enzo, an annoyed and tired look coming across his face. "You again." he sighed. "Didn't I tell you before I don't deal with copies!" The words he spoke just made Enzo angrier. 

"I am not a copy." he said softly, anger seeping through his voice. "I am Cadet Enzo Matrix, guardian version 4.0. Let a former power hungry shell of a virus invade my dreams and then try to destroy my family? I don't think so." 

Megabyte seemed, if any, to be impressed by the lad. "So the little boy backup wants to challenge me? Again? We do remember the last time you tried to challenge me, don't we?" 

"What's a matter, Meggy?" Enzo taunted. "Are you scared? You got your ASCII kicked by a copy and his brother. You can't handle it anymore? Admit it, you little son of a null. We had you down for the count. The only way you can fight back is getting to us in our dreams." 

"Face it, Megabreath." Matrix replied coldly. "You're not _half_ of what you used to be. You're nothing." 

Megabyte's eyes grew redder with the anger he was feeling. "How dare you...YOU...of all people say that I am nothing!?" he roared. "I held this system in my grip while you were still here, Boy! Your little act of being a _guardian_ didn't stop me. Your little firewall didn't stop me. When we meet again, Boy, this system will be mine again!" Enzo sneered at the proclamings of the virus. "So the big, bad virus wants to take on the Matrix machine, huh?" He gave a slight laugh. 

"Bring it then." he said. " Just bring it." 

"My pleasure." the virus retorted. 

"You will, mark my words virus, find out what trouble is." Matrix replied. 

The Enzos and Megabyte were in a ghastly death stare, until Megabyte replied, "I shall then pick a time and place. You'll know when I'm ready. Until then, pleasant dreams." With a click, he was gone. Silence once again gripped the room. "Do you think that was a good idea?" Dot asked, eyes still ahead at where the vidwindow had been. Her brothers looked at her, somehow knowing that this was now _their_ fight, to finish Megabyte for good. 

"He's not going to take this system, Dot." Matrix said, seeing the pain being etched on his sister's face. "Not again." 

"He deletes." Enzo replied, an emotion of coldness emanating from his throat and his body language. "It's as simple as that. We destroy him for good." 

"Then my children," Phong said, sensing the fear, the anger, and the sadness that ran deep amongst his friends. "I fear an attack plan is in order." 

* * * 

Megabyte flung his arm and a hole appeared in the darkness. How dare he? How dare that insolent little... _backup_...say those things to him?! Megabyte was surging with rage. He'd make those little Matrix brats pay, that's for sure. He'd make the whole spammed city pay for what they had done to him. Megaframe would be born again. He paced, his anger and rage giving way into a plan. It would be simple enough to get what he wanted. When he sent Bob into the Web, Dot Matrix had crumbled. Then when that little brat brother of hers and the game sprite were presumed nullified thanks to a game, her hope was shattered. Oh, they put up a good fight, but if Mouse and the guardian and the boy hadn't come back, he'd be sitting on a throne admiring his kingdom of Megaframe. So now, that the guardian and the commander were married and had a child, it would be easy to crush their spirits. He knew how to get the renegade riled up. A smile came to his face. He knew how he could destroy those that tried to destroy him and keep the line of the Matrix family from descending. 

* * * 

"Hey, Dot." AndrAIa replied, cheerfully, walking into Dot's office and standing before it. 

"Hi Andri." the Command.Com feigned a smile and closed her organizer. "How're the systematics going?" 

"Fine." the game sprite said, taking a seat on the edge of the desk. "Everything's still in place from the Daemon War and everything's been updated. A tweak here and there and we should be ready for anything. If it comes to that, of course." 

The last comment was meant to put an ease on the current situation. 

"Of course." Dot sighed, sitting back in her chair and staring at the ceiling. "I just never thought we'd have to use that stuff ever again." 

"I know what you mean." AndrAIa said. "It seems like every time we get a little slice of peace, we're thrust back into another war." 

Both women were quiet, thinking about the times of peace and the times of war. Dot had a feeling things were different this time. The same feeling she had when she first heard Daemon would be looking for Bob and Matrix. It was the fear of losing them again. After they had fought so hard and so long to come back, they were thrust into another war. It was different, as it was different now. She and Bob were together and out of the restart she had gotten not one, but two brothers. But there was more at stake now. She and Bob had a child. Matrix and AndrAIa had a child. Enzo, though getting close to adulthood, was still her baby brother and now he was in love with someone who was probably in love with him. Megabyte couldn't have picked a worse time to come back from the Web. Mouse and Ray were gone, seeking a new adventure no doubt. But they still weren't there. Dot now had more of a family now. More than she had ever hoped for, but so many times she had come so close to losing them. Last time, she had only been able to fight Megabyte with words. This time, she wanted to meet him face to face. 

* * * 

Alex stood atop of the Principal Office, looking over Mainframe. The city was beautiful and she couldn't believe it when Phong had told her it used to be encased in darkness, the whole Megaframe deal. But after the restart, which they had incredibly survived, the city was restored. Alex saw why it had two guardians guarding it. Three, if Enzo could work it out with the Prime Guardian. If she had never been here, she wouldn't have been able to understand why any system would need three guardians protecting it. She had even teased Enzo when he said he wanted to be the guardian for Mainframe... 

_"You're kidding, right?" she asked, leaning against him._

_ They were breaking protocol. She wasn't supposed to be in his dorm room at this late millisecond, but she had just stopped by to pick up some notes on a class she missed. Somehow they got around to talking about their home systems. "I am not kidding, AJ." he said. "When I graduate, I'm going to be the guardian for Mainframe." She laughed, normally something that would have him at her feet, but this time it was uncalled for._

_"Didn't you tell me that both your brother and brother in law were the guardians to Mainframe?"_

_"Yes..."_

_"Most systems are quite capable with no guardians." she said. "Many manage pretty well with just one guardian, but **two**? Even **three**? Come on, Enz, from what you told me, Mainframe does not sound like a weak little system."_

_"You wouldn't understand." he said, removing his arm and walking over to the window._

_ He had never been out of Mainframe before and now here he was, at the Super Computer. Staring out his dorm window often made him homesick. He missed everyone. He couldn't wait for summer._

_"You don't know what Mainframe had to go through. What we've been through already."_

_"Look, Scooter," she said, walking over to him._

_ User, how he **hated** that nickname. He was still uncertain when and where she decided to call him that. "I know what your home means to you. I really really do, but you're always telling me how you want to see other systems and go other places, like that search engine friend of yours. You can't do it if you're gonna be stuck at home forever."_

How she regretted saying those words now, especially in the wake of this Megabyte dude. When Phong told her the mini history of Mainframe, she was still unsure of how much trouble they seemed to get out of...until the virus sent them a message. She had seen Enzo mad before, nothing to write home about, but it seems when the mere mention of Megabyte the virus, he's as bad as Matrix. Or so she had been told. She hadn't seen it, but pretty much believed it. That Matrix was built like a brick house and had the temper of a very angry lion, despite the claims made by everyone that he was really a pussycat. Sure. A **psychotic** pussycat. But still, the looks on everyone's faces today gave her the inkling that the virus' arrival was of total surprise and unbelievable... 

Just then, something caught her eye. Something in front of her...it looked like a game had landed, but it was thinner and it wasn't purple. She started to turn and perhaps warn everyone, when the cube turned into a building. It was odd looking, looking like a cross between a snake's head and a claw. It was red on the outside and yellow on the front, much like the colors of a snake. Part of her said she could go back inside and tell everyone what she was seeing. The other part, the one that was becoming much louder, told her to investigate. _Well, if I go inside and say something, they might think I'm seeing things or that it's something they already knew about. _Alex stood there contemplating on what to do. _**But if I investigate, then I can come back and say it's nothing or alert everyone to trouble.**That is if I come back.** Oh shut up.**_Alex decided to investigate. _That's my virus side for you_, she thought. She unclipped her zipboard, hopped on, and headed for the mysterious building. Well, curiosity did delete the binome. 

* * * 

"Hey, sensors indicate a disturbance in G-Prime." Enzo called over his shoulder. 

He and AndrAIa had been working on the sensors and the shields, making sure that if Megabyte tried anything, they'd be ready for him. Somehow, in his effort to spend time with AndrAIa, Enzo had inadvertently learned the ways of Mouse as she passed them down to AndrAIa. He had never been one to engage in the geek sessions, but it certainly came in handy for his Systems Management class. 

"What've you got, Zo?" AndrAIa asked, rolling her chair over to him. 

"I don't have a viz on it yet, but it kinda looked like a game cube landed, but it wasn't purple and obviously we didn't hear the annoying sounds of terror ringing through the city." 

AndrAIa rolled back to her own console and begin typing away. "I'll try to see if I can get a viz on it." she said, not taking her eyes away. "Maybe I can get a closer look at whatever's down there." 

Dot, Bob, and Phong were quickly standing behind the two hackers in training. Dot quickly got her organizer and brought up a vidwindow to Matrix, who was over by the docks with some of the CPUs. "Enzo, we have a disturbance in G-Prime." she said. "I've got your brother and AndrAIa on it already." 

"The geeks back in session, huh?" he quipped, a smile coming to his face. 

"Shut up." Enzo and AndrAIa replied, neither one looking over to the screen. 

"You want me to take some of the CPUs over and investigate, Sis?" 

"Only after we find out what we're dealing with." Dot said. 

"I got it!" Enzo exclaimed, bringing up a vidwindow so everyone could see exactly what he had. 

To say the sight shocked our heroes would be an understatement. 

"It can't be." Matrix said, staring at the screen before him. 

Some of the CPUs crowded around to see exactly what he was staring at. 

The Silicon Tor was back, with Megabyte in it.   


  


**Chapter 7 - For Deletion Brings Release**

The tower was big, even from where she stood. Alex looked around the area for an opening of some sort. The place did give her the jaggies, but maybe this was someone new who just happened to enjoy giving sprites the jaggies. She finally spotted what looked like the front door. The door had a lock and as she thought about how to get past it, the door opened. _Last chance to get some help_. She thought. She hesitated and then went inside. The door closed behind her and left her in darkness. _Oh boy_, she thought, the pit of her stomach filling with fear. Suddenly a light came on, just focusing on her. She was going to call to someone, ask if anyone was there, but she was stopped by another voice. 

"Well, well, well," came the voice. "Our new little friend. Coming to save your little allies, hmm? Well, you're going to help me more than you know." 

* * * 

Loud clanging could be heard from the garage. Matrix and AndrAIa were surrounded by various tools and parts on the ground. They were working on an old motorbike that Matrix had discovered sitting in Old Man Pearson's while he had been looking for Frisket. The outside of the bike seemed to be in good condition, but the riding condition of it had things to be worked on. So that's where they were. AndrAIa found it to be a relaxing hobby, also a way to keep Matrix from wondering around the city. 

"I don't understand it. Screwdriver." she said, as she tightened a screw near the front wheel. "How does the Tor suddenly appear? Wrench." 

Matrix sat next to her, handing her tools and parts she asked for. She amazed him sometimes with the things she could do, but then again, that was part of her programming. As an AI game sprite, AndrAIa was probably the most lethal of game sprites. She could learn an enemy's skills and put them to her own good use. Made a mistake and learned from it. Matrix let out a sigh, remembering the question she asked. "Hologram maybe?" he asked, handing her a lug nut. "Maybe." AndrAIa said, loosing a bolt and replacing it with the lug nut. 

"You think he put it there just to intimidate us?" 

"Probably." Matrix replied, using a second wrench to loosen a bolt on the back wheel. "I wouldn't put it past Megabyte." 

AndrAIa stopped what she was doing to look at Matrix. "You know I don't like this." 

"What?" he asked, distracted by the back wheel. "Working on the bike?" 

"No," she replied, rolling her eyes in annoyance. "Megabyte and him going after you. I don't like it, Enzo. Not after the last time. Have you forgot your shoulder's still healing?" 

Matrix stopped what he was doing to look at her. "I should've deleted him when I had the chance, Andri." he said, his cybernetic eye growing red. "Again, one of my mistakes is coming back to haunt me." 

He stood up and walked past her to put his tools away. 

AndrAIa just sighed. _Here we go again_, she thought. 

AndrAIa got up, walked over to her husband, and put her arms around his waist. "We're not going to go through this again, are we?" she asked, resting her head against his back. She felt his body relax as he closed his eyes. "Believe me, Andri, I don't want to go back to that." he sighed, remembering how long it took for him, for _them,_ to get past his insecurities. "And yes, I remember that my shoulder's still healing." he continued. "But Enzo's right. This has got to be the last time we're bothered by Megabyte. And only...only _we_ can stop him this time." AndrAIa's face scrunched in confusion. 

"You mean you and Enzo?" she asked. 

Matrix didn't answer at first, then replied, "Yeah." 

Matrix knew deep down inside the battle against Megabyte would be fought by the children of Dr. J and P Matrix. 

"You know that bike's not gonna fix itself." he joked, trying to bring the humor and fun back to the task. 

"Yeah, yeah." she replied, sarcastically, letting him go and walking back over to the bike. "You think he'll like it?" she said, admiring the bike. 

She was gearing it in the image of her own bike, the one she had taken from Megabyte after he was displaced in to the Web. It seemed ironic to have it now. "He'd better." Matrix muttered, walking over to stand next to her. He then turned to look at her, a small grin on his face. "I think he's spending way too much time with you." he joked. "He seems to be picking up your hobbies." 

"Look, if it makes you happy, you can mold Sabrina into _your_ image." AndrAIa replied, sarcastically. 

* * * 

The next second, the gang assembled in the War Room to once again go over certain procedures. Dot, as usual, was surrounded by ten different vidscreens as she surveyed the area around the Principal Office and that of the Silicon Tor. Phong rolled over to her and cranked his neck up so he could see over her shoulder. "How do things look, my child?" he asked, glancing at one or two vidwindows. "Everything seems to be normal, Phong." Dot said. She shook her head clear and muttered, "What am I saying? Megabyte's back and so is the Silicon Tor. Everything is definitely **not** normal!" 

"Don't worry, Dot." Bob replied, putting an arm around her shoulders. "We'll get to the bottom of this and everything will be back to the way it was. Less stress and no mess, right?" He gave her a crooked grin and she returned it. She could always count on him to bring a smile to her face, especially at a time like this. 

Specks turned from his keyboard to speak to Dot. "Um...Commander, sir, we have an incoming message." The one turned back to his console, then turned back to Dot. "It seems to be coming from the Tor!" 

"What does _he_ want?" AndrAIa muttered to Enzo. 

"Obviously not to tell us good morning." Matrix replied, sarcastically. 

"Send it through, Specky." Dot said, also wondering what Megabyte could possibly want now. Specks opened a channel for the incoming message and soon a vidwindow opened in front of the Command.Com. 

"Good morning, Ms. Matrix." Megabyte said, cheerfully. "Lovely second we're having, isn't it?" 

"Cut the chit-chat, Megabyte." Dot groaned. "Something must be up, so why keep us in suspense?" 

Megabyte responded to her question with a series of tsks. "I would've thought your position as leader of Mainframe you'd have a bit more of some manners, but I see I was wrong." he said. 

"What do you want, virus?" Phong spat, his anger now rising. 

"Right to the point, hmm, old sprite?" Megabyte jeered. 

With a wave of his hand, he replied, "Very well then. I do hate to interrupt whatever crisis you're handling, but it seems I have something that belongs to you." 

"What?" Enzo asked, suspiciously. 

"Oh come come now!" Megabyte laughed. "You don't expect me to actually tell you! If you can't figure it out on your own, you're not the sprites I thought you were." 

"No more games, Megabyte!" Matrix exclaimed. "Just tell us what it is, so we can get it back." 

"Take a guess." Megabyte continued. "I'm sure you've noticed something wasn't right." Megabyte started to peer around the group, as though he was looking for something. 

"Now, you tell me." he said. "What seems to be missing?" 

The group, uneasy and naturally suspicious, glanced about the room to see what could be missing. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary. "Hmmm, I wonder." Megabyte gloated, scratching his chin as though deep in thought. "Could it be something dealing with Mainframe? Or perhaps one of the citizens is missing. Maybe that's it. A citizen is missing. Now which one? Hmmm. It's certainly not one of Mainframe's 'heroes', now is it? Maybe a child is missing..." Megabyte caught the exchanged glance between Dot and AndrAIa. The look of confusion and anger trilled him. How he longed to that look on the faces of these retched sprites from the prison he was cast in by the very same troublemakers. 

"This is ridiculous!" Enzo exclaimed, looking about the room. He turned his gaze back on the virus. "Nothing's missing, you psychotic freak! You're just doing this to mess with our processors!" 

"Am I indeed?" Megabyte mused. He reached out to grab something from off screen. 

"Enzo..." Alex said, struggling against the headlock Megabyte had her in. 

"Alex!" the young sprite gasped. 

"I have picked the time and the place for our final meeting, Boy." the virus said, putting pressure on the girl's neck. "The time will be tonight. The place, the Silicon Tor. And this, Boy," he said, motioning to Alex. "will be the prize." The virus laughed. "And speaking of games, Boy..." 

**WARNING: INCOMING GAME! WARNING: INCOMING GAME!**

The group turned to look at the screen that Specks had in front of him. "Tonight the dreams end and the nightmare begins." With that, the vidscreen closed. The group was still in slight shock. "The game seems to be landing in G-Prime, Sir." Specks replied. 

"This is the first game since those nightmares started." AndrAIa whispered to Matrix. 

"Well, come on, Cadet!" Bob shouted, running towards the door. 

"But what about...?" Enzo started, absently clicking his icon and changing into his guardian uniform. 

"We'll figure something out." Dot said quickly. "Not now, get to that game!" 

Enzo nodded and ran after Bob. The two would have to gun it in order to make the cube. With nanos to spare, Bob and Enzo barely made it underneath the game as it landed. 

* * * 

"So what is this?" Enzo asked, surveying their surroundings. 

The two were in lush jungle, with trees galore. There was a slight mist, making the two wet almost immediately. "We're on the last level of something called 'The Last Rites'. The User has to get the key to the treasure. We have to stop and kill the User before he reaches the large pyramid straight ahead." 

"Sounds simple." Enzo sighed. "Let's get this over with. Reboot!" 

The two hit their icons and the shiny wave of change washed over them. When it cleared, both were dressed in khaki shorts and shirts. Bob was equipped with a large rifle, slung over his left shoulder and a small hunting knife in his hip pocket. Enzo had two small hand guns, along with extra ammo strung on a belt around his waist. He also had a small hunting knife. 

"I think the best thing would be to split up." Enzo replied, glancing around their surroundings. 

"I don't like that idea, Enzo." Bob replied. "The User could easy get one of us..." 

"Exactly my point. If we stay together, the User could sneak up on us and delete us both. At least if we split up, we cover more ground and it gives us an equal chance to beat the User." 

Bob didn't like it, but it did make sense. The last thing he wanted was for Enzo to be left alone in this forest. Reluctantly, Bob nodded at Enzo's suggestion. "All right." he said, slowly. "I guess I can't argue with reason. You go right, I'll go left. We'll make a circle to the pyramid." Enzo nodded and started off in his direction before Bob stopped him. "Stay frosty, Enzo." The guardian called out. Enzo smiled, waved, and continued on. Bob shook his head, as he headed off for his own adventure. He just hoped both would come out alive. 

He wouldn't know how to face Dot if neither of them did. 

* * * 

Enzo walked through the misty jungle, keeping watch out for the User and keeping track of where he was. This jungle was odd, to say nothing of weird. It was quiet all around. Too quiet. The only noise was that of his boots clomping down on the ground. Not even the birds were chirping. Enzo stopped to look around and get his bearings. He could still the pyramid in sight, he wasn't too far from it. He looked around, wondering if this would be a good time to stop and rest. 

"Sleeping on the job, Boy?" 

Enzo turned to located the voice. He knew it was Megabyte, no doubt about that. But where was he? Had the virus somehow gotten into the game? 

"Oh, look all you want." the virus replied. "You can't see me...but I can certainly see you." 

"Where are you, you son of a null?" Enzo exclaimed, turning every which way to find the virus. 

All he got for an answer was laughter, that grew louder and louder and more insane in the passing microseconds. Enzo tried to cover his ears, trying to block the sound. He never heard the User come up behind him. 

* * * 

The User, dressed in khaki pants, a white t-shirt, and a leather jacket had been making his way through the jungle. He had gotten all the other items in this game and just needed to get to the pyramid to get the key for the treasure. It had taken the User a good five months user time to get to this level in the game. He had already bought the sequel, but needed to beat this one before he could continue. But he had an obstacle. 

One of the many hunters that were after him stood before him in the jungle. He didn't to notice the User, as he crept up behind him. He seemed distressed by something and had his hands over his ears. No matter, the User figured. It just made his job and quest a whole lot easier. 

This would be too easy. 

* * * 

Bob had come to the large pyramid and noticed Enzo wasn't there waiting for him. This made him extremely worried. If by some chance the User found Enzo before he had, he'd still be able to access the key and win the game, thus nullifying the two of them. Or at least Bob. Enzo might be able to survive just as his brother had, but Bob didn't want to even imagine that scenario. It would hit Dot like a ton of bricks. He needed to find Enzo. 

And possibly the User. 

Bob thought for a microsecond, using his Glitch powers to make a mental map and find where Enzo could be. He headed in the direction Enzo went. Bob walked for a while until he heard sounds in the distance. He stopped and listened. He could hear the sound of talking...but he could only hear one half of the conversation. He continued walking, following the sound of the voice. He recognized instantly. 

Enzo. 

Bob took off in a run towards the sound of Enzo's voice. That's when he heard running coming from in front of him. The User! He could make out a thin outline of the User, but he was too far ahead of him to reach. The User stopped and started to withdraw his weapon. It looked as though the User had found something of interest and Bob didn't like the looks of it. 

* * * 

It was almost too late before Enzo realized he was in trouble. Megabyte had trapped him with the User. He didn't even notice the guy until he heard a loud click come from behind him. He turned swiftly around and saw the User standing there, quickly trying to reload his rifle. Enzo acted quickly, dodging out of the way, and ducking behind a tree. He removed the first of his two guns and started firing. The User also ducked behind a tree, still reloading his rifle as he did. The two began a small war of bullets, each trying to delete the other. 

Bob had finally been able to keep up with the User, only to be missed by a bullet coming from the small area the User was now held up in. The guardian figured Enzo had been surprised by the User and was now fighting for his life. But that's all the time Bob needed. He removed the rifle from his shoulder. From where he hid, he had a decent shot at the User. He readied the gun, took aim and fired. 

The User felt a sharp pain coming from his shoulder. He turned quickly to find he was in an ambush. Another hunter had snuck up behind him and shot. The User turned the gun on the second hunter, forgetting that he still had the first hunter to deal with. The User continued to fire, hitting the trees that surrounded the mysterious hunter behind them. But he couldn't get a clear shot. The only way he could would be to move him into the line of fire and he was on his last life. He took a gamble. If he could move away slightly, he could kill the second hunter and may be wounded by the first. It was a chance he had to take. He wanted to win this game. 

Enzo watched as the User continued his fire, but not at him. He was firing at something or someone that was hiding in the trees behind him. The young cadet watched as the User started to shift his position, moving a small ways form his cover. It wasn't much, but it gave Enzo the advantage he needed. At this point, he could very easily shot the User and delete him. Taking careful aim at the User's head, Enzo pulled the trigger of his gun. 

**GAME OVER!**

* * * 

AndrAIa knew where to find them. She could hear the grunting from the hall. Phong had given Matrix permission to change this hidden room into a gym. During the restart and the beginnings of the war with Daemon, Matrix would spend millis upon millis in here, training. He didn't want to fail, like he had with Megabyte those hours ago. Even in the games, he would train non stop, wanting to get bigger, stronger, separate himself from the weak little sprite he had been. 

And oddly enough, that little sprite Matrix had been wanted to spend his time in there with his older self. When refugees from other systems came to Mainframe for protection, Enzo had been the target of many fights, some which he lost. Running on the same mentality of his brother, the young sprite started working out and it continued at the Academy. 

The game sprite was actually the only person other than Enzo to go in there while Matrix was taking out his anger on the various punching bags that hung from the ceiling. She was the only person he wouldn't actually hurt. That she knew, only once had Matrix and Enzo come to blows over an illegal entry. But she wasn't worried. They wouldn't hurt her. 

They were teddy bears. 

She stood there, watching as they sparred on the mat in the middle of the floor. Both looked tired and sweaty, she figured they had been in here since Enzo and Bob had come back from the game. They were both convinced in order to match wits with Megabyte, they needed to be as strong as he was. AndrAIa wasn't sure if that was the best way. It was obvious Megabyte had merged with a web creature, but what kind was the part they didn't know and needed to find out. Megabyte was bad enough without now being a dangerous web creature hybrid. 

"You know, you guys should probably take a break." she said, causing the two to stop their activities. 

"Have you heard anything?" Enzo asked. 

AndrAIa shook her head, sadly. They hadn't heard from Megabyte since that morning and it was getting late in the afternoon. "Don't worry, Zo." she said, giving the boy a smile. "I bet Alex's giving Megabyte a hard time as we speak." The cadet smiled weakly. "She's like that." he said, softly. "Don't worry, little brother." Matrix replied, putting an arm around Enzo's shoulders. "We'll meet up with Megabreath tonight and we'll end this once and for all. Nothing's gonna stop us this time." 

* * * 

"Have you just _completely _flipped your motherboard?!" 

Dot sat in her office, watching and listening as her little brother ranted and raved about what she had in mind. It was a dangerous decision. She was the Command.Com after all, not to mention a wife and mother. Doing what she was planning could put her in serious jeopardy, not to mention the system of Mainframe. But something told her this was her fight as well and there was no way she was going to miss this. 

She was going to meet with Megabyte. 

"Dot, Matrix is right." Enzo agreed. "This...this is random, which is just not like you." 

"Look, I know there'll be some danger involved..." 

"_Some_ danger, she says." Matrix muttered, continuing his pacing across the office floor. He came to a stop and looked at his sister. "This isn't your fight, Dot!" 

"Yes, it is." she declared. "True, you may have more of a vivid past with megabyte, but he's hurt me too, you know. It was Megabyte who made our lives random after our parents were deleted. It was Megabyte who nearly got us all deleted, always trying to get to the Core, to the Super Computer." She paused, saving the worst deed for last. 

"It was Megabyte who shot Bob in the Web." she said, noticing the look of sadness that washed over Matrix's face. He remembered that second like it was the second before. "You don't know what a pain in the ASCII he was after you and AndrAIa lost that game. When he destroyed the Principal Office and kidnapped Phong...that was the last leg of strength I truly had. He'd leave little notes on vidwindows for the Rebels to find, asking me how I was doing. If I'd seen Bob lately, if I had gotten a little cage to put your null in, that Phong would like to say hello, but he was tied up at the moment. Megabyte took everything away from me, just the same as you. I say it's pay back time." 

The brothers looked at their sister in a whole new light of respect. She had always been strong, no doubt, but sometimes her strength went further beyond that of anyone they knew. Megabyte had burdened their lives too many times to count and if they wanted revenge, now was the time for it. "You do realize how dangerous this is." Matrix said. 

Dot smiled. "Danger is my middle name." she replied. 

"Huh." Enzo smirked. "The things you find out before an epic battle with a two bit virus." 

The three laughed at the joke, each wanting to remember the fondness of the moment. Each knew this was a dangerous task. They had battled Megabyte before, time and time again. The final battle casting him into the Web. But he had somehow survived the ordeal to become bigger and stronger. Enzo and Matrix had gone up against him once before and lost. This would be the final battle between the virus and the Matrix family. The winner would decide the outcome and fate of Mainframe and that of it's inhabitants. Only one question remained. 

Who would win the battle and the war? 

* * * 

Alex tried to move in her bonds. She sat in a chair, next to the throne of Megabreath, hands tied to the arms, mouth gagged. She mentally kicked herself for walking in to such a well planned trap. She knew this virus was bad news, but noooo. Did she stay away? Nooooo. What did she do? Walked right on in to the lair of a big, mean, scary virus, who was out for revenge on the sprite she loved, his family, and his system. 

Smooth move, Hewlett. 

"Please try not to struggle." Megabyte purred from his chair. "It does wear out the straps." 

Alex managed to get some choice words from her mouth, only to be muffled by the gag. And all she got was laughter from her captor. "You are a spirited one, aren't you?" he chuckled. He brandished his claws from his hand and held them to Alex's face for closer inspection. "I hate spirit." he growled. "That Enzo Matrix had spirit, before he lost that game and wound up away from home. His sister Dot had spirit, before I crushed her hopes and dreams. Sent her little guardian to the Web, laughed in her face about her little lost brother. Oh, even Phong had spirit, before I ripped his head from his body and kept it in a jar!" The virus laughed demonically, as though hearing the funniest joke in the Net. 

Alex just gulped. This virus was loony. A couple of memory wafers short of the box. Apparently being in the Web for that long period of time made him random with revenge. This was not the place she wanted to be right now. "Oh, they may have won that battle." he continued. "They may have sent me to the Web, hoped they wouldn't see me again. But they were wrong. I swore I'd be back. I refused to be deleted in such a...trivial way. This is my pay back. I don't even want this basic system. Just the power in knowing I destroyed Dot and Enzo Matrix is good enough for me. I will have my revenge." 

Alex struggled again, until the gag slid from her mouth. "You won't get away with this!" she exclaimed, glaring at the virus. 

Megabyte just laughed. "Oh, but my dear," he said sweetly. "I already have. I'll be meeting those infernal Matrixes tonight. I did say you were the prize. What do supposed that little back up copy love of yours would do in order to save you? Hmm? I bet he would something heroic, like charge after me. Do you suppose Dot will join them tonight? I certainly hope so. I so wanted to infect Dot. She would certainly be a wonderful asset, but I guess deleting her would be best. Besides, the look on the guardian's face when he finds his little wifey poo on the ground, flickering in and out...mmmm. Such a tasty thought. And that Enzo Matrix...the original, I mean." He chuckled at the last part. "Oh, I must think of something special for him. I think infecting him would be a joy. It would delete him inside, knowing that everything he hates is now in control of his thoughts and dreams. Hmmm...yes. Infection for the Boy. That sounds lovely." 

"What're you going to do with Enzo?" Alex asked, quietly. "The second one, I mean." 

"Oh the copy?" Megabyte asked, nonchalantly. The virus sat in thought for a bit, thinking of how to dispose himself of the second Enzo Matrix. "That is a question." he said finally. "He did seem a bit mad when I called him a copy." Megabyte then turned to his captive. "Would you be angry if I deleted him?" he grinned. Alex just stared at him, too angry to speak. "Tell me, Alex, was it? Tell me, Alex, why should you care what happens to Mainframe? You aren't from here, are you?" 

"No, I'm not." Alex answered. 

"Then why should you be so concerned?" 

"I'm a guardian. It's my job." 

"How cute." Megabyte sneered. "Are you sure it's not because of another reason?" 

"My Uncle lives here." 

"Does he?" Megabyte asked. "Does he really?" 

Alex stared at the virus, a venomous hate rising from her. If it was the last thing she did, she would... 

"I wonder if your little Cadet Matrix could save him and you at the same time. I wonder..." 

"Leave my Uncle alone!" Alex shouted in fear and hate. 

"Oh don't worry, my dear." Megabyte oozed. "You're all the bait I need. In fact, how about I offer you a deal?" 

"I don't deal with viruses." 

"But you'll like this one." Megabyte said. "What if instead of deleting your...precious Cadet...I infect him instead. He and the Matrix Boy are brothers, so they say. The three of you will do my bidding." 

This time, it was Alex that smirked. "Me, be a part of your sorry ASCII family? Nuh uh. Ain't gonna happen." 

Megabyte felt the urge to smack the girl, but calmed himself. "Have it as you wish." He said, leaning back in his throne. "Just remember that when I deleted that copy in front of your eyes." 

Alex sighed. This was all her fault. If she hadn't let her curiosity get the best of her, Enzo wouldn't be in trouble right now. Now, she had gotten him, his family, and his system into this mess and it would cost them their lives. She always said curiosity deleted the binome. Well, now it was going to delete this system and everyone in it. She knew Enzo and Matrix would respond to Megabyte's challenge. 

She had to get out this. She just had to.   


  


**Chapter 8 - The Final Showdown**

"And welcome sports fans! This is Mike the Fabulous TV, standing live outside the Silicon Tor, giving you the inside stats to tonight's monumental fight. The Matrix Machine vs. The new improved Megabyte." 

No one knew how he did it, but somehow Mike the TV had gotten an exclusive story about the showdown that night and the television set didn't keep it to himself either. He invited a couple of friends, who told their friends, who told their friends and so on and so on, until G-Prime looked like the setting to a block party. Seeing the Silicon Tor back in this part of the sector frightened and intrigued the citizens of Mainframe and those that were brave enough to come out, wanted to cheer on their heroes and watch as they defeated Megabyte once again. 

"What are you doing here?" Bob asked the small set. He looked around at the crowd that had gathered and rolled his eyes. "And how did all these people get here?" 

"Well, well, well!" exclaimed the set. "It's our very own Guardian Bob! Bob, I hear your wife and mother of your son, Dot Matrix, Command.Com of Mainframe, is going in with her brothers. Care to comment?" 

"No, Mike. As a matter of fact, I don't care to comment." 

"But really, Bob," Mike replied, obviously ignoring the harsh response to his question. "How do you think the Matrixes fair up tonight? And remember, you're on live." 

Bob looked at the camera that was now looking at him. He gulped and tried to think of an answer. "Well, Mike," he said, grabbing an extra microphone from off camera. "As you know, we've gone up against Megabyte before and we've defeated him." 

"It's true! It's darn true!" cried the tv. "But Bob, rumor has it ole Meggy's got some help from a web creature. Could this spell doom for our fighters?" 

"I don't think so, Mike." Bob replied. "You got the Matrix family going in there...we all know how tough they are. Matrix survived game hopping. He defeated Megabyte before. But he's got help. Megabyte's all alone in this, but Matrix has got back up from Enzo Matrix and Dot." 

"Yes, the young cadet Enzo Matrix. The second Enzo. He's made a name for himself as well." 

"Absolutely, Mike." Bob said. "Enzo's an hour away from being a full fledged guardian. He's got a lot of talent and I think he really intimidated Megabyte the first time they fought." 

"Now looking at Dot Matrix, your lovely wife," 

"Thank you." 

"You're welcome. Looking at Dot, Bob, what can you say about her?" 

"Well, what can't you say? She owns half of Mainframe. She's the Command.Com. She's the leader of this system. If Megabyte has anyone to worry about, it's definitely Dot." 

"Agreed." Mike said. "Now let's look at the challenger, Megabyte. We all know how power hungry this virus is." 

"I think the Web's changed him for the worse, Mike. I only got to see him twice, but I can tell he's obviously not in complete control here." 

"Back to the web creature, Bob, you've had some experience in the Web. How bad are these little buggers?" 

"You know from experience, Mike, what these things can do. It's obvious we're dealing with a bad web creature here." 

"There are good and bad web creatures?" Mike asked. 

"Definitely." Bob responded. "The ones you gotta watch out for are Class 6 and above. Basically, if you leave any web creature alone, it'll leave you alone. I think Megabyte's been merged with a bad creature. He's gotten stronger, bigger...who knows what he can do." 

"Time for a commercial break, folks. Bob, I hope you'll join me ring side for this fight." 

"Wouldn't miss it." 

"We're in for a real slobber knocker, folks! Megabyte. The Matrixes. Next on MMF, the Mainframe Mauling Federation." 

The Matrixes were standing over by a couple of the CPUs, thinking of how to get into the Tor. "When I get my hands on that little tv..." Enzo muttered, noticing the media attention around them. "Right now, channel that into getting that basic virus we're after." Matrix said, twirling Gun on his finger. 

"I don't like this." AndrAIa said, for the fifth time she had been standing there. "I really don't like this, Dot. You're putting a lot on the line here. If something happens to you..." 

"Nothing's going to happen to her." Enzo insisted. "We're not gonna let anything happen to her." 

"It would be dreadful if Dot goes down." replied Algernon, sipping a cup of tea. "The system couldn't handle it." 

"We're aware of that, Algy, thanks." Enzo replied, sarcastically. 

"It just wouldn't be cricket, would it, Sir?" asked Binky. 

"Don't worry, guys." Dot said, trying to put everyone's fears to rest. "I'll be fine." 

"What exactly did Bob have to say about this?" AndrAIa asked. 

"He felt the same way you did, Andri." Dot replied, giving the game sprite a smug look. "Not that it really mattered. I was going to go anyways. It wasn't like he was going to stop me." 

"Yeah." AndrAIa sighed. "Just as stubborn as your brothers." 

"Hey!" the two exclaimed. 

"Time's running out, you two." Dot replied, taking charge of the situation. She then turned to the CPUs. "Matrix gave you my orders, so remember. If something starts to go wrong, you get in there any way you can. Make sure you call in the medics. Just in case." She then turned back to her brothers. "You ready?" 

Enzo checked his guns, then placed them behind his back. "We told Megs we were gonna bring it." he said, grinning. "So let's bring it." They turned to look at Matrix, who checked his gun once more before putting it in its holster. 

"Let's do it." he said. The three walked to the main entrance of the tall tower and found it unlocked. 

"Folks, it looks like our heroes are going in to the steel cage to meet their opponent!" Mike exclaimed, excitedly. "Mike TV, Guardian Bob here on the sidelines, watching the trio go in. Will they come out...or won't they? Bob, your assessment." 

"Mike, I can tell you right off, I'm not liking this." Bob replied, watching as his brother in laws and most importantly, his wife, walked in to meet a deadly virus bent on revenge. He didn't know what would happen if they didn't come out the same way they were going in. 

* * * 

The trio walked in through the entrance of the Tor, all on guard for anything that might happen. The door shut behind them, causing Dot to jump and for the three to be encased in darkness. "Alright guys, calm down." Matrix replied, his artificial eye scanning the darkness around them. "I see something." 

"Where?" Enzo asked, trying to see where Matrix's eye seemed to be drawn to. 

"Straight ahead, but I don't know what it is." he replied, trying to focus in on the object. "What ever it is, it's moving." 

"Great." Dot muttered. "Who knows what that psychotic virus has in here?" 

"He has one important thing, Dot." Enzo said, his determination growing. He wanted out of this place. It still gave him the jaggies, no matter if this was real or not. 

Just then, the lights flicked on, showering the siblings in dim light, but enough where they could see their target. On a platform in front of them, sat Alex, tied and gagged to a chair. She was moving frantically in her seat, desperately trying to tell them something. 

"Alex!" Enzo cried, trying to make a rush for her. Matrix quickly put his hand out to stop his brother. 

"What're you doing?" he asked. 

"We gotta save her!" Enzo cried. 

"Hold it." Matrix replied, keeping his brother from rushing forward. "This doesn't feel right. This...this is some sort of set up." 

"He's right, Enzo." Dot said, looking around them. "It feels like we're walking into a trap." 

Laughter could be heard quietly, then growing louder and louder each passing nano. "Kudos to you, Miss Matrix." he said, his voice cold and menacing. The Matrix siblings seemed glued to the spot as they heard the virus speak. "I always knew you were the smarter one of the Matrix clan." 

"He's right behind us, isn't he?" Dot asked, nervously, reaching for her gun. 

"I...think he is." Enzo replied. 

"Then let's take care of him." Matrix said, reaching for his gun. "On the count of three. One...two..." 

With lightning speed, the trio turned around and started to fire at the virus. "What the..." Matrix asked in confusion. The three were firing at no one. Suddenly Matrix lurched forward, slamming into the wall in front of him. When Enzo and Dot turned back around, they too were hit by an energy beam, sending them into the wall along with Matrix. "Really, kiddies." Megabyte sneered. "Did you really think I was going to stand around and let you shoot me?" Megabyte took a step towards them, firing energy shots at both Enzo and Dot, sending them flying away from their brother and to the other sides of the Tor. The virus stood over Matrix, before pounding a fist into the large sprite's back. 

"Hmmm...now what does this remind me of?" the virus joked. "Let me think. Oh yes, I remember now. This reminds me of our little fight, so long ago." Megabyte delivered a swift kick to Matrix's stomach. "Do you remember what you told me, Boy? About living with defeat? Well, let's see who will live with defeat this round." 

A small ping sound was heard, as a bullet hit Megabyte in the arm, stopping him from another assault on Matrix. "Let him alone!" Dot cried, gun pointed at the virus. Megabyte just chuckled. "Oh really, Miss Matrix." he said, turning to look at her. "Do you really think you can stop me?" With two huge steps, Megabyte was face to face with Dot, causing the commander to gasp. He backhanded the weapon from her hand and shot an energy blast from close range, lifting Dot from the floor and into the wall behind her. Enzo quickly jumped on Megabyte's back, causing the virus to dance around for his balance. Megabyte regained his balance and flipped Enzo over his shoulder. The cadet landed with a thud on his back, then felt the crushing weight of Megabyte's foot on his chest. "Perhaps I should move to the other side." he said, pushing down on Enzo with his foot. "I seem to be blocking your girlfriend's view of your deletion." 

"Gun: Target Line." 

A small red dot landed on Megabyte's shoulder and moved as the virus slowly turned to look at the sprite whose voice made the command. In a flash, the virus was sailing towards the wall, a bullet now embedded in his chest. Enzo saw the chance he needed to save Alex. He rolled over to his knees and got up shakily. An energy blast missed his back by inches, Dot having pushed Megabyte to the side. Enzo stood for a moment, unsure if he should stay and help or get Alex. He debated, but finally he took off towards the platform. 

Megabyte grabbed Dot by the throat, slowly trying to squeeze the life from her. Matrix finally plowed into him, making him drop Dot and then slamming into the wall. The fight was eerily reminiscent of their last encounter together, when Matrix had come back to find Mainframe in ruins and Megabyte running Megaframe. Enzo quickly reached the platform and climbed up to reach Alex. 

"Are you alright?" he asked, trying to undo her bonds. Alex gave a nod. 

"Trying to save your lady love, Boy?" 

Enzo turned and was quickly backhanded to the floor. "Enzo!" Alex exclaimed. The virus just laughed as he pushed the girl back down into her chair. "Do try and be a bit more hospitable." he cooed, a menacing claw hovering dangerously over her icon. Megabyte lunged forward and suddenly turned to look behind him. Enzo was kicking the virus in the back of the knee, trying to throw him off balance. Alex tried to keep the claw away from her icon, Megabyte's movement making it harder to stay away. With a last bit of effort, she threw him back, ultimately causing her chair to roll back the opposite way with her still in it. Before the chair went careening off the platform, Alex jumped and saw the chair fall to the ground below. 

"Talk about a fall from grace." she muttered. 

Alex made a roll to the left, hearing and seeing Megabyte coming down on her. "I commend you on your spotless floors." she replied, sarcastically, staring the virus in the eye. 

"Thank you." he replied, trying to sound charming. "I usually have the floors waxed every other second." As his hand went to smack her, a sharp pain went up his arm. He looked down at the long metal pole that now held down his arm. 

"Wax this." Enzo jeered, elbowing the virus in the mouth. 

Megabyte lay on his back, energy leaking from his lip. He was able to kick Enzo away from him and stood up. "Will you never learn, Boy?" he taunted. "Your so called brother couldn't defeat me. What makes you think _you _can?" 

"Because I'm Cadet Enzo Matrix." Enzo replied, a small grin on his face. "Let some power hungry virus kidnap _my_ girl? Nuh uh. Ain't gonna happen." 

"How did you get so powerful?" 

Megabyte smiled at the voice behind him. "Come to join your little brother, did you?" he asked. 

"I asked you a question, virus!" spat Matrix, raising his gun to the virus's head. "Web creatures have incredible powers, Boy." Megabyte replied. "Don't you remember my good friend Gigabyte?" 

"Thanks for the lasting reminder." Dot said, sarcastically. 

"I have a little joke for you, Miss Matrix." Megabyte said, as he turned. He now stood in the middle, in between Enzo and Alex and Matrix and Dot. "How do you make sure several members of an annoying family disappear?" 

The four looked at each other in suspicion and confusion. Megabyte's hand was up in an instant, an energy ball shooting from his hand and hitting Matrix in the shoulder. Gun flew from his hand and he backed into Dot, causing both to fall to the ground. Megabyte then turned his attention to Enzo. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. The virus attempted to do the same thing to Enzo, only hitting the boy square in the chest. 

The ball of light expelled from Megabyte's hand. 

Enzo's eyes widened, seeing the blast coming straight for him. 

Alex screamed, "NOOOOO!" 

She was suddenly in front of him, taking the blast in his place. 

The force of the energy ball hit Alex straight in the chest, knocking her back into Enzo and causing them both to fall... 

To the ground below. 

"NO!" came the overlapped cries from Matrix and Dot. 

"Two down..." 

Megabyte again focused his attack on the elder Matrixes. He gave them both barrels, which they both dodged out of the way of. "This virus is starting to get on my nerves." Dot replied. "I'll cover you." came the reply from Matrix. Grabbing the same pole Enzo had earlier, Dot took a swing at the virus and connected with his upper torso. Megabyte roared in pain, but was cut off by a shot to his face. The virus back spaced, trying to regain his balance. Dot took this opportunity to work on her batting swing. 

"Have a nice trip." she said, connecting the pole to Megabyte's side. 

The virus took the same trip Enzo and Alex did, falling from the other side of the platform. Matrix quickly went to check on Enzo and Alex, while Dot held off Megabyte. "Does it hurt, Meggy?" she taunted, walking around the crumpled figure. "You don't look very comfortable. So what was it like? Taking a nose dive off that platform? That's about ten feet high, is it? Gee, I wonder how my brother felt when you virtually pushed him off?" Dot took one last walk around the virus. "Do you have any idea how much I hate you?" A slow smile came across her face. "You'll soon find out." 

Right as Dot raised the pole to finish the job they had started, the floor vanished from beneath her. Megabyte stood over her, laughing. "Really, Miss Matrix," he said. "I'm not that easy to defeat. That you should know. This certainly will be a pleasure. I've been wanting to infect you for so long. And not the easy infection I use to give, no no. The web creatures I encountered have a way of...intensifying the effect. With any luck, you'll be deleted before you'll truly be under my control. Pity, actually. I could've had some use for you." 

"Hey Meggy," Dot said, looking up at the virus. "I have a little joke for _you_. How do you get rid of a power hungry virus?" 

"Gun: Targeting. Full deletion." 

Megabyte slowly turned and noticed the red dot on his forehead. 

"You delete it." Matrix replied, firing. 

"No..." Megabyte sputtered. "It can't be. I can't be..." His body flickered until finally he disappeared. 

With the virus's deletion, his tower also started to fade, leaving four figures where it stood. 

"And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen!" Mike exclaimed, jumping two feet in the air. "Our heroes have emerged and they seem to be victorious!" Mike then turned to his cameraman. "Those are the Matrixes over there, right?" When the cameraman nodded in response, Mike continued his monologue. "Yes! It appears our Dot Com has lead us to victory again. As you can see, the Silicon Tor is gone and I assume Megabyte is as well." Again, Mike turned to his cameraman. "The virus is gone, right? I mean you haven't seen him, correct?" Again, the cameraman nodded. "Folks, I just got word that Megabyte has been defeated! Of course, I will bring you exclusive coverage. As soon as I get through all these CPUs and medics." 

"Will you stop moving?" Matrix said, placing a hand to hold Enzo down. 

The younger sprite groaned in pain, trying to turn on his side. "Hold it, bro." Matrix said, again. He felt his brother's chest and side, noticing the pained expression on his face. "Yep. Seems to me you got some bruised ribs, kid. Maybe even a broken one or two. You better lie still." 

"Are you okay?" AndrAIa asked, kneeling down next to he two. 

"I'm fine." Matrix said, pointing to himself. "But Ace here has at least two broken ribs. He really needs to see a doctor." 

"And you, Lover?" 

"I told you, I'm fine." Matrix said. 

"Ask him about his shoulder." mumbled Enzo. 

"You stay out of this." Matrix hissed. 

"What's wrong with your shoulder?" AndrAIa asked, placing a hand on his left shoulder. Matrix cried out in pain and then tried to hide it. 

"Enzo!" 

"It's just a scratch!" Matrix insisted, seeing the horde of medical officials coming near him. "He needs to be looked at right away. I'm fine." 

"Look at his shoulder, please." AndrAIa said, nicely. "Don't mind his protests. He's not okay." 

"Yes, I am!" Matrix exclaimed, trying to dodge the oncoming medical instruments heading towards him. "I'm fine!" 

"Are you okay?" Bob asked, stopping in front of Dot. The leader of Mainframe sat in one of the ambulances, being taped up by one of the orderlies. The binome quickly left so that Bob could sit down next to his wife. "I'm okay." Dot said, giving Bob a smile. "Just a little bruised." 

"You...are to never, ever..." 

"Do this again." Dot finished. "Don't worry, angel, this is the last time I tangle with a virus." 

"Unless Hexadecimal pops by." Bob joked. He cupped her chin in his hand. "We made a promise, remember? 

Dot put her arms around his shoulders. "I'm never leaving and nether are you." The two were about to kiss, their lips only a breath apart... 

"Excuse me, folks! Anyway, I can get an exclusive here?" Mike cried, startling the two. 

"Mike, we're kinda in the middle of something." Dot said, wishing the small television would go somewhere else. 

"Aw, come on!" the set begged. "Just something to keep the viewers on their toes. This is the MMF, you know. We're all about action and adventure and getting the story live. What kind of network would this be if we were just about fighting and gore? Not a very..." 

"MIKE!" 

"Hey." Enzo replied weakly. 

"Hey." Alex smiled. 

The two were passing by on their relative stretchers, each about to be hauled into ambulances, each going to the medic bay of the Principal Office. The orderlies were nice enough to let the two talk before they would be transferred. "You okay?" Enzo asked. "Just a little banged up." Alex replied, smiling weakly. "Nothing a few stitches won't correct." 

"We're gonna have to go, kiddies." said one attendant. "You guys have got a lot of injuries." 

"Just take care of my guy, okay?" Alex asked, closing her eyes. 

"Hey." Enzo called, the attendants carrying the two off. 

"Yeah?" Alex asked. 

"Did you mean what you said? About me..." 

"Ask me again sometime when I can properly answer." Alex said, grinning. 

The two were put into the ambulances and the doors were closed. The scene was that of... 

"Wait a minute! Hold the vidwindow! Mike the TV here, broadcasting for you MMF fans out there. As you can see, we just got finished with the fight of the week! Spectacular! Fantastic! Brilliant! And that's just my reporting! When we get back from commercial, I will have EXCLUSIVE interviews from the combats, assuming they won't kick me out of their hospital rooms. So stay tuned, Money Pennies! We'll give you the end results. Next on MMF, Mainframe Mauling Federation!"   
  
  


Epilogue 

Enzo sat up in his hospital bed, playing a game on his organizer. It had been a few seconds since his last fight with Megabyte and he was now healing from one broken rib and a couple of bruised ones. So far, this stay was getting on Enzo's nerves. He was bored out of his processor. Phong had been nice enough to bring some games for them to play. He had done the same thing for Dot, who was told to stay in bed and rest, something that Bob and Matrix were making sure of. But Phong had left a millisecond ago and now Enzo was regulated to playing games on Dot's organizer, his part in keeping Dot in bed and resting. 

"How's the patient?" 

"Bored and lonely." Enzo replied, shutting the organizer off. 

"Would you like some company?" Alex asked. 

"What do you think?" 

Alex closed the door behind her and walked over to Enzo's side of the bed. After sitting down, the two were soon locked at the lips. "Mmmm..." Alex said, breaking the kiss. "I've certainly missed doing that." 

"How're you?" Enzo asked, moving a piece of her hair behind her ear. 

"Much better." Alex said. "I'm more worried about you though." 

"I'm fine, AJ. Really. The doc says I'll be sore for a few more seconds and I shouldn't do anything strenuous. Other than that, I'm fine." 

Alex poked Enzo in the arm, noticing the grimace that came to his face. "I thought you said you're okay." she said. 

"I am." Enzo replied. "It doesn't even hurt." 

She poked him again. 

"Ow! Quit it!" 

"I thought you said it didn't hurt." 

"It doesn't." Enzo said. 

Alex poked him again. "Will you stop?" Enzo asked. 

"You said it doesn't hurt." Alex teased. 

"Well it will if you keep poking at it." 

"I'm sorry, Scooter." Alex apologized, kissing his cheek. "I should be healing you, not hurting you." 

"You can start by not calling me 'scooter'." Enzo said. "You know how I hate that name." 

"I know." Alex smiled. "That's why you have it." 

Enzo rolled his eyes and picked up the organizer. "Do you really think that organizer's gonna help your boredom?" Alex asked, a seductive smile spreading across her lips. "You have something else in mind?" Enzo asked. 

"Let's see if we can get you entertained with some other sort of excitement." 

* * * 

"Are you guys gonna go swimming or what?" 

Kit stood in the middle of the water, looking over at his uncles and aunt. It had been 2 cycles and all three Matrixes had been released with a bill of good health and made sure they took things easy for a while, especially Enzo. The family decided to take a small second off, the idea actually being voiced by Dot herself. They were at the beach, nestled nicely on the outskirts of the Beverly Hills sector. Matrix, AndrAIa, and Enzo sat on the sand, playing with Sabrina, while the Lans were in the water. 

"Hey, you got Alex out there." Enzo called back. "She's representing us." 

Alex and Enzo were now officially dating, as of last cycle. Dot had suggested she come, knowing full well Enzo would ask her later. She was family, by association of course, but still, she'd be family eventually. And as family, she got to hang out with her future family. Both Kit and Sabrina adored her, always asking when she and Enzo were getting married so they could start calling her Aunt Alex. 

"You know," Matrix said, bouncing Sabrina on his lap. "It's such a good second out, I think I'll take a nap." 

"On a second like this?" AndrAIa asked. "You should be out playing." 

"I'm out, aren't I?" 

"Close enough." Enzo laughed. "You gotta admit, Dre. With this whole Megs thing, be happy we _want _to sleep." 

"I can't believe he's gone." AndrAIa said, with a shake of her head. "I mean really gone this time." 

"And it's gonna stay that way." Enzo replied. "Megabreath's gone for good and he's not coming back." 

"That's certainly a relief. Now all we have to worry about are..." 

"Game coming, Daddy." Sabrina said, bouncing her doll on her father's chest. 

"Oh, there's a game coming, huh?" Matrix asked, winking at AndrAIa. 

"Uh huh." 

"Where's it landing, Princess?" Enzo asked, going along with the silly games of a 4 hour old. 

"Over there." Sabrina replied, breaking her play only to point over Enzo's shoulder. 

"Gee, that's awfully cute, sweetheart, but..." 

**WARNING: INCOMING GAME! WARNING: INCOMING GAME!**

The three adults looked over to where the game cube was slowly going to drop, while the small child continued to play with her doll. Slowly, the adults turned their attention back to the little girl. 

"How did you do that?" they asked. 

"Do what?" the girl asked, with all the sweet and innocence that every little girl has. 

Enzo was about to respond when he heard Alex calling him. "Enzo!" she cried, already dressed in her uniform and rushing towards the falling cube. "Come on!" Enzo gave one last look at his niece, while stumbling to stand up and change into his guardian uniform. He snapped out of his current and joined Alex in running towards the game. This had been a strange summer indeed and it wasn't even over yet. 

What else could happen? 

THE END 


	3. Bytes of Passage

Bytes of Passage

The second was lovely in the hustle and bustle of the Super Computer. In the system itself, sprites and binomes rushed to and fro to businesses or other activities. On the campus of the Guardian Academy, a couple of the cadets were taking a break before class, sitting around a huge water fountain. Among these cadets was Enzo Matrix. It was his last second as a cadet. That night, he'd be graduating from the Academy and would choose his system to mend and defend. It was an exciting transition, his whole life had been geared toward this second. 

But for now, it was break time. 

"So Enzoli," asked a young cadet, sitting on the base of the fountain. He was about Enzo's age, if not a little younger, with burgundy skin and hazel eyes. "You still gonna remember us when you become a big hot shot guardian?" he asked, with a hint of an Italian accent. 

Enzo looked up from his spot in the grass. "Luigi, you guys are my friends." he said, grinning at the sprite. "I can't forget you guys." 

"Better not." replied a good looking girl, with red skin and green eyes. "I don't think Alex could stand it if you forgot her." The group of cadets laughed. 

"She'd delete him!" voiced one cadet. 

"No more Matrix getting good grades, that's for sure!" said another. 

Enzo grinned at the comments. How could he forget these sprites? After living in a system where, up until his niece and nephew were initialized, he had been the only small sprite. And even with his enlarged family, he was much older than Sabrina and Christopher, but still too young to partake in some of the adventures of his older siblings and friends. When his sister and brother in law gave permission for him to join the Academy, all his troubles seemed over and his dreams a reality. 

It had been hard on him after the restart. Only his family and closest friends knew he wasn't the real Enzo Matrix. That Enzo Matrix had been basic enough to leave his icon in game sprite mode during the initial system crash and then glorious restart. That Enzo Matrix was the reason he was here now. He was Enzo Matrix's back up version. His copy. With him in game sprite mode, the system thought he was gone and had replaced him...with Enzo Matrix. 

Confusing? It had been for all those around him. 

How do you explain to a small sprite that he is the second version of himself? 

How do you explain to a larger, bigger, meaner version that the little sprite he once was, was now back to haunt him? 

How do you get two versions of the same sprite to learn to live together in the same system? 

It had been awkward, especially during a time when the super virus Daemon wanted his older self brought to her door and infected. He and Matrix faced some hard decisions. If Daemon infected Matrix, what would happen to him? What if Matrix was deleted? Wouldn't he be deleted too? The two had a stormy relationship those first couple of cycles, trying to adjust with the other around. The two were viruses to their friends, the worse actions being directed towards AndrAIa, Dot, and Bob. The brothers were relentless. Who do you like more? Me or Matrix? Or who do you love more? Me or Little Enzo? The two finally had to sit down and talk, only to find what everyone else realized. 

They had a lot in common. 

More than that, they shared a bond that no one else that was close to them shared. Matrix was Enzo. Enzo was Matrix. They had the same feelings, the same mannerisms, the same thoughts. Matrix knew how Enzo was feeling and vice versa. When the two stopped to process what the other might be going through, they reached a truce. And things had gotten better after that. The two were brothers, best friends even. Matrix saw Enzo as a way to right the past, give his little brother the future he couldn't have. Enzo saw Matrix as the older brother he wanted, the friend he needed now that he was, again, the only small sprite in the system. 

And being the only little sprite had definite drawbacks, especially during the Daemon conflict. Small sprites and their families left their ravaged systems and came to Mainframe for refuge. Everyone figured this would be great for Enzo. More little sprites in the system meant he wouldn't be alone so much when the adults had planning to do. But Enzo was more alone than ever. The Guardians were under Daemon's rule, except for the two that alluded her. Guardian 452 and the Field Cadet. 

Bob and Matrix. 

When those kids found out who Enzo was, he was a target. He was in a fight just about every second. They were scared, who could blame them? The Guardians had destroyed their way of living and when they sought help, they ended up in a system that had two of them. Enzo's older sister was dating Mainframe's Guardian. His brother Matrix was a Guardian Cadet, despite protests from the green giant himself. It was the one time since Enzo had met Bob that he didn't want to be a Guardian. But then he remembered the Guardians in his life. Bob had done wonders in Mainframe while he had been there. And even when the system thought he was lost in the Web and probably deleted, Bob returned and helped in the system crash and subsequent restart. Matrix had been young when he was field commissioned, but he still was a good guardian. He survived being trapped in the games, he brought Bob home from the Web, he defeated Megabyte. No matter what those refugees said to him, Enzo knew what he wanted to do. 

He was going to be a Guardian and straighten things out. 

And it had been a great experience for him. He met tons of people and met tons of friends, the very circle he sat in today. Louis "Luigi" Reso, Decima "Deci" Syples, Johnny Prose, Alexandria Hewlett...the one sprite Enzo wanted to see wasn't there yet. He and Alex had been dating for a little over an hour and were usually seen together. She had made the transition for him so much better, even though she was a semester behind him. Enzo had never been outside of Mainframe until Bob and Dot uploaded him to the Academy. If it hadn't been for her, for any of his friends, he wouldn't have lasted a minute in the place. 

And tonight he'd be leaving it. 

And early, no doubt. Despite all the help he could've gotten, being linked to the very Guardians that saved the Net, Enzo had been able to get through four hours of the Academy. All the teachers liked him, said he was just as eager as his brother in law, Bob, had been when he was a cadet. And Enzo got good grades, made the honor mention a dozen times. He was committed to being a Guardian and helping put the name and word of the Collective back to it's good standing. For all his hard work, the young cadet managed to complete all his training ahead of schedule and would be graduating early, along with his friends Johnny and Paige Down. 

"Hey, don't forget about that party later, Zo." Johnny replied. "It wouldn't be right if the guest of honor didn't show up." 

Enzo sighed happily. His friends were throwing him a graduation/birthday party for him later that night. Enzo would be going home to celebrate his up coming upgrade, so this was the last chance his friends got to bug him over getting older. He was about to reply, when he heard Deci say, "Well, it's about time." Enzo turned to see the sprite he had been waiting for. Medium length brown hair hung about the girl's shoulders, her tan skin a shade darker due to hanging out in the sun for too long, her deep blue eyes focusing on the guardian to be. 

"What took you so long?" Enzo asked, standing and bringing the girl into his arms. 

"I have class, you know." Alex responded, putting her arms around her boyfriend. "Be surprised old Nullzilla Newton even let us out early. You know how he loves those Ancient Languages." 

"Newton's like that, you know." Enzo replied, smiling down at the girl. "He's from the FORTRAN seconds. I swear he's a thousand days old." 

"Oh, he is not." Deci said. 

"Dude, he is." Luigi corrected. "I've seen his file. He's actually over a thousands days!" 

"Oh stop. You guys are making that up." 

"Hey," Enzo said, smiling at Deci. "Would a guardian lie to you?" 

"You're not a guardian until tonight, Matrix." Deci replied, pointing her finger at him. "So until then, YES!" 

Enzo feigned hurt and said, "That hurts. Hurts me deeply." 

The bell sounded for the students that their next class was starting. The friends waved goodbye and headed to different sectors of the campus, thus leaving Enzo and Alex alone as they walked to their separate classes. 

"Hey, try not to stay so late at the party tonight." Alex said, as the two stopped in front of her classroom. 

"Why?" Enzo asked. "Aren't you coming?" 

"Yes, but I have a little party I'd like to give you myself." she said, giving Enzo a seductive smile. 

"Really?" he asked, going in for a kiss. 

Alex moved from the oncoming kiss, telling him, "No sneak previews, Scooter." 

Enzo winced at the nickname she gave him. User, he hated that name. "Why do you call me that when you know I hate it?" he asked. 

"Because you hate it." She replied, moving from the doorway so her classmates could enter. "Besides, I like the little face you make when I say it." 

Enzo shook his head. Girls, though he knew plenty, were still a mystery to him. Alex glanced inside and realized class was about to start. "I'll see you later." She gave him a kiss on the cheek and waited for a young man to go inside before she did. "Ta ta, Scooter." She waved to him as the door closed behind her. Enzo smiled and headed off to his last class of the second. His last class ever. 

* * * 

"Where are they?" 

Enzo paced up and down the grassy knoll of the main entrance to the Guardian Academy. He had gotten a lot of errands done after his last class. He had gotten his boots polished, his hair cut with the exception of the small, thin braid that now hung over his shoulder. He'd even had his dress uniform cleaned. Twice. Only one thing kept him from having a relaxing afternoon with his family. 

He couldn't find his family. 

"Calm down." Alex said, sitting on a nearby bench. She had watched Enzo pace since her last class a millisecond ago. 

"I mean, they should be here right now!" he exclaimed, looking up at the large clock on the school's tower. The young sprite continued his pacing, mumbling to himself about the lateness of everyone, "Something that just doesn't happen, I tell you!" 

Alex shook her head in pity. Enzo Matrix was going to wear a hole in the ground if he didn't stop pacing. "Sweetie," she called, watching the sprite she loved talk to himself about a number of reasons on why they were late. "Baby..." 

"I mean, what if they were attacked?" Enzo ranted. "They were coming over and they were attacked by some large, out of control virus? Yeah. Yeah!" His ramblings were soon getting louder and more excited. "Oh no! They were attacked by some all powerful, all mighty virus! He probably devoured them all. Oh no. And like Bob tried tostophimanditdidn'tworkandMatrixprobablyshotathimanditdidn'tworkandthenthe virusatethemthen..." 

"ENZO!" Alex exclaimed, stopping her boyfriend in mid ramble. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!" 

Enzo calmed down a bit and looked at her. "It could've happened you know." 

"Right." she said, leaning back against the bench. "And I could be your father." 

"Funny." Enzo muttered, sarcastically. 

"Now, will you just sit and calm down?" Alex continued. "Your family will be here any moment. Just you watch and see." 

"Yeah, well..." the young guardian continued to pace back and forth across the lawn. 

"And over there is Norton's statue." replied a sprite's voice. 

"Wow." came the voices of two others, children by the sound of it. The very very familiar sound of it. "What he do, Uncle Bob?" 

Bob was giving a tour of the Super Computer to his son and niece. Both had begged and pleaded with him to show them around, even bringing in the other three sprites that accompanied him. The guardian complied, of course. It was hard to refuse the youngsters anything, more less a tour of the very place Bob had grown up and where Enzo Matrix would be graduating. 

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN??" shouted Enzo, when he saw the seven sprites he'd been waiting for. Actually, he had only been waiting for six of them and was quite surprised to see his sister Dot in the group. "We have been worried sick! Poor Alex over there thought you all had been eaten by a dangerous virus!" 

"What!?" exclaimed Alex in surprise. 

"Calm down." replied Matrix. "You're going to excite yourself, then you'll need a nap." Enzo's older self smirked at the last remark. 

"You know what I love about you, bro?" Enzo asked, grinning at his older brother. "Absolutely nothing." 

"We've been in the Super Computer less than a millisecond and it's started already." AndrAIa Matrix quipped. 

"I was just showing the kids around the Academy, that's all." Bob replied, coming to the defensive of everyone. 

"I bet." Enzo replied, bending down to talk to his niece and nephew. "You little troublemakers enjoying the tour?" he asked, poking Christopher 'Kit' Lan in the stomach and causing the boy to giggle. "Love keeping me waiting, huh?" 

"Uncle Bob said he'd show us around." piped Sabrina Matrix. 

"Yeah and I just bet you were the ringleader, huh, Princess?" Enzo began to tickle the girl, making her squirm and laugh. 

"Don't be mad." she replied, putting her arms around his neck. She then delivered a kiss to his nose and smiled. Enzo grinned before picking up the girl. 

"I'm not mad." he said. He then looked at his grinning ~and very pregnant~ sister. "Actually, I am kinda mad." he replied, speaking to Dot. "What're you doing here?" 

"You think I'm going to miss my baby brother graduate from the Guardian Academy?" she replied. "I don't think so." 

"Dot, I think you could've missed it just this once." Enzo insisted. "First of all, you're pregnant." 

"How very observant of you." Dot joked. 

"Those four hours certainly paid off." Matrix chuckled. 

"Secondly," Enzo continued, ignoring the jokes. "You're the Command.Com of Mainframe." 

"Another point for you." AndrAIa quipped. 

"The point is..." Enzo said, now growing frustrated with the lack of concentration here. He finally sighed and said, "Nevermind. I have no point." 

"I'm glad you could finally admit that to yourself." Alex replied, leaning on his shoulder. 

"Et tu, Alexandria?" he asked in mock hurt. 

"I gotta go with the majority." she replied with a shrug. "Sorry Scooter." The girl delivered a kiss to his cheek upon seeing the look of annoyance on his face. 

"Hi Alex!" called Kit, tugging on her pants leg. Alex bent down and gave the smaller sprite a kiss on the cheek. 

"Hey Chris." she said, causing the boy's smile to get wider and his heart to soar. "Keeping everyone in line?" 

"Yes, sir." Kit replied, dreamily. Enzo rolled his eyes. He had realized a while back that his nephew had somehow developed a crush on his girlfriend. 

"Hey, I got an idea." she said, standing. "How bout I give you little tikes the rest of the tour? I know some of the cool places Bob doesn't." Alex winked at them and gave a smile to Bob. 

"I'll go too." AndrAIa said, taking Sabrina from Enzo. "That way the balance of power is at least equal." 

"Bye Scooter." Alex said, giving Enzo a quick kiss on the lips. "See ya later tonight." With that the two women and two children went off to continue their tour. 

"So, did you plan on having a system crash, Scooter, or did you just think that up for our benefit?" Matrix asked, giving his brother a small shove. 

"I'm warning you, Sparky." Enzo replied, shooting back his brother's own embarrassing and annoying nickname. 

"Come on, baby brother," Dot said, linking arms with him. "You've got a tour to show us." 

The four sprites walked back to the dorms, so Enzo could show them his room and meet his roommate. Along the way, Bob pointed out some things, to which Enzo elaborated on. Heading towards the dorms, they stopped so Enzo could show them the field where the ceremony would be held that night. Staff was already putting up the stage and setting up the chairs for the event, the lights going up and being tested, microphones being hauled onto the stage. 

"The Prime Guardian gives a speech about upholding the guardian name and then he reads the names off, I guess." Enzo was saying, as the four walked into his room. It was oddly clean, something very rare for Enzo. But his roommate was a neatnik and had forced the young sprite to do the same as they grew up in the Academy. "The way it looks, you guys can sit in the front, if you get there early." he continued. "I know Alex will there, so she can save your seats." 

"She can keep Kit quiet then." Bob joked. 

"Oh, Kit would just love that." Enzo replied, rolling his eyes. To Bob's look of confusion and surprised, he asked, "Haven't you noticed that your son has taken...a liking...to my girlfriend?" 

"Now, who does that remind you of?" Matrix quipped, getting Enzo in a loose headlock. 

"That wasn't my fault." Enzo protested, knowing exactly what Matrix meant. "I wasn't the one who stupidly left his icon in game sprite mode, now was I?" 

"Let's stay frosty, boys." Bob said, grinning at the two. It was great seeing them like this. It was different than seeing two friends fighting. Enzo and Matrix meant more to him than that. "Are you planning on packing later?" he asked, looking about the room. Various pictures of them hung on Enzo's side of the room, his organizer lay on the bed, and he had some trinkets on the desk. 

"I was thinking we could do it now." Enzo said, sheepishly. He'd been so busy with graduation duties and class, he hadn't really gotten started on packing yet. He had figured on doing it that night, but with his pre-birthday party happening and Alex's own party for him, he wouldn't have the chance. And he was leaving tomorrow. 

"I figured you'd say that." Dot said, smiling at him. He never was the plan ahead sort of sprite. "We'll get started now. And Enzo..." she cupped his chin her hand and felt the second old stubble on his face. "You might want to shave before the graduation ceremony." 

"I just shaved!" 

"She means with the sharp end of the razor." Matrix said, and was quickly swatted in the chest for his joke. "Ow!" 

"Boys..." Dot warned, making both stop. "Work now, fun later." 

* * * 

It actually didn't take long for Enzo to pack, not when he had three other people helping him. The second was pretty fun, the four of them talking, reminiscing about when Enzo was smaller. He certainly wasn't small anymore. Almost the size of Matrix and just as strong. Dot would sometimes catch herself staring at one or the other, amazed at how much they were starting to resemble their father. It was times like this and other milestones that she wished their parents could be there with them. They would be so proud of Matrix and now Enzo. She thanked the User every second for the chance to have a brother like Matrix and then to get the chance of having two brothers to watch over, to get to know all over again, to be proud of again. 

Dot knew that Bob was proud of them, too. He had been the friend both had desperately needed when they were younger. Dot, too, liked the way Bob could make her forget all her responsibilities in the Net with one look or a smile. She didn't realize until after Matrix had brought him back and after the restart, that Bob loved Enzo more than just a friend, a confidant. For Matrix, who was now only a few hours younger than the guardian, Bob was the brother he had always wanted. For Enzo, the father he needed and had missed for those hours before Bob had come to Mainframe. When Bob and Dot had gotten married, they had talked about how to include Enzo in their family. Bob wanted to adopt him, make Enzo his own. But it was Enzo's decision. Dot wasn't sure what the two had decided, only knowing the subject hadn't come up again. 

She wondered if Matrix would feel a little envious tonight. Enzo was living out both their dreams. After Daemon had been defeated, Turbo had given Matrix full guardian status for his help and for his hours of game hopping and for bringing Bob home. Though Matrix was a guardian, his dream had come true, he wouldn't get the same experience Enzo had over the course of four hours. But maybe it was better that way. Dot would rather Enzo spend four hours of his life in a classroom, then the ten hours Matrix and AndrAIa spent in the games. It took minutes, hours for Matrix to come back to his once happier self, the pain of the past slowly melting away. It had taken them all sometime to get away from the pain that had haunted them so long ago. 

It was happier times now. 

Dot listened as Bob told the boys some wild tale about a multi-player game he had played. Yes. It was happier times now. She and Bob had Christopher and were expecting their second child in a couple more minutes. Matrix and AndrAIa had Sabrina and a newborn son, Chip. Enzo was in love, his first girlfriend. Dot could tell from the moment she had met Alex she'd be a part of the family one second. All she was waiting for was Enzo to announce their engagement. Dot hadn't realized she'd been staring at three of the most important men in her life until she heard them calling her name. 

"What?" she said, blinking her eyes repeated. 

"Is something wrong?" Bob asked, worriedly. Even though the two had been through one pregnancy, Bob still made a point to ask if anything was wrong, so he'd be prepared for the unexpected. After all, Christopher had been born on the Saucy Wench, the pirate ship headed by Capt. Gavin Capacitor. 

"Nothing's wrong, you big worry null." Dot said, laughing at the look she produced on Bob's face. "I was just thinking, that's all." 

"I've heard about this." Enzo said, setting down a box he was moving. "Pregnant sprites sometimes zonk out before they go into labor." 

Matrix and Bob looked at the young guardian, then looked at Dot, intensely watching to see if the young sprite was going to go in to labor at any moment. 

"Enzo!" Dot exclaimed, looking at her baby brother and ignoring the looks from her younger brother and husband. "Where in the Net did you get an idea like that?" 

"I saw it on TV." he replied. "On Nomeprah Whitley." 

"I can't believe you actually watched that show." Matrix said, looking at his brother in slight disgust. 

"I wasn't." Enzo defended. "Alex was. And I usually watch whatever my girlfriend tells me too. Besides, it wasn't a totally bad show. I learned how to make a chocolate upside layer cake, with white frosting." Enzo smiled with the knowledge of his new found talent. 

"Well, I'm sure that'll get you through a lot more tougher things than Dot having your other niece or nephew in your dorm room." Matrix replied. 

"You're just jealous." Enzo retorted, picking up his box. 

* * * 

Nighttime soon fell upon the Guardian Academy. The campus was dark, except the large spotlights beaming from the stage and on the young cadets that were graduating. Enzo was seated on the side, in the third row, but he could see his family from where he sat. Kit and Sabrina were stretching in their chairs in order to see him. Spotting their favorite uncle, the two waved furiously at him, to which Enzo responded with a smile and small wave to make them happy. 

"Tonight, the cadets you see in front of you have earned the right to claim themselves as Guardians." said the Prime Guardian. The leader of the Guardian Collective stood behind a poteum where he spoke into a microphone. 

Enzo's graduating class was rather small, about fifteen people compared to the graduations Bob had been to and even his own. It was mainly due to low enrollment when the Collective come back to their senses and the infection of Daemon had been taken from them. It had taken a good hour after Daemon had been destroyed before people were willing to train as Guardians. Most young sprites did it in order to exact revenge on what the super virus had caused. Enzo knew a lot of cadets came because they wanted to bring the Collective back up to its standing. Others, like Alex, wanted to do it in honor of a parent or sibling or loved one that had been lost to the Guardians. 

Many of the original Guardians couldn't stand to be labeled as 'guardian', the guilt of their actions causing many to take their own lives, many to move to another system and change their identity. Some had come back to the Academy to teach in various courses, only because no other system wanted them around. Restoring the trust of the citizens of the Net would be hard to come by. Enzo had been on a recon team during training and the three systems he had been to hadn't been very receptive to having guardians, regardless if they were cadets, in their system. As it looked, it seemed only Mainframe was excepting. But then again, they had two...correction. Make that three guardians whom they looked to for protection. 

"Would all the seated cadets in front of me, please stand and come to the stage?" the Prime Guardian asked. 

The seated cadets all rose and started to head to the stage. As they got there, the P.G. would say their names and give them the Guardian Oath. To Enzo, it seemed like forever as he watched his classmates walk up the steps of the stage and stand in front of the Prime Guardian. The cadet's family and friends would applaud and yell, happy their loved one and had made it through the Guardian process. Enzo kept glancing at his family, seated, and watching him. He had so many things going on in his processor, a queasy feeling in his stomach. He was so nervous. He had this reoccurring dream during that last cycle. He stood just like this, waiting for his turn, his family seated and watching proudly. 

As soon as he reached the stage, though, his nightmare began. He would stand before the Prime Guardian, who would look and try to find his name on his list, but couldn't find it. "Sorry." he would say, shrugging his shoulders, while Enzo stood there, looking dazed and confused. The audience would then break out in laughter, but the worst thing...the worst thing of all...Enzo would turn and see the disappointed and even disgusted looks his family and friends would give him. Seeing Dot and Bob just shake their heads, too embarrassed to even look at him. Matrix and AndrAIa looking dumbfounded at him and then Matrix getting his trademark scowl across his lips, before telling Sabrina, "You are to never talk to him again." 

Enzo snapped back in to the reality that he was now in. He was only a few sprites away from getting to the stage. His stomach felt tight and knotted and he felt very sick. Oh, would that be rich! he thought, as he got closer to the stage. Me, loosing my energy shake on the Prime Guardian of the Collective. I might as well delete myself right here, right now. Finally, it was Enzo's turn. He walked slowly up the steps and faced the Prime Guardian. 

"Enzo Matrix-Lan," he replied, as Enzo stood at attention. "Do you take the oath that is given before you on this night?" 

"I do." Enzo said, feeling like he said the right thing for the wrong occasion. 

"Do you solemnly swear to uphold the laws and guides that the Guardian Collective has set out for its members? To mend and defend?" 

"Yes, sir." 

"Cadet Matrix, you have gone above and beyond the call of this select group." The P.G. said, a smile coming to his face. "You have proven yourself to be one of the most gifted cadet graduates that I've seen in a long time. I know you will go out into the Net and proudly represent the name Guardian as it should be and as it will always be from now on." 

The leader let those last words settle over the crowd. They hadn't forgotten the destruction caused by Daemon or what he had done. He knew some families in the audience had not been, or still weren't, happy to learn their son, daughter, cousin, husband, etc. wanted to be a Guardian. 

"Cadet Matrix, your icon." 

Enzo removed his black and gold icon and handed it to the Prime Guardian. The leader also removed his icon and held the two about an inch apart. A light came from the icon and transferred into Enzo's. After a nano, the Prime Guardian handed back the icon to Enzo and said, "With this is icon, you are hereby a member of the Collective. Welcome, Guardian Matrix." 

* * * 

"Alex, where are we going?" 

It had been some night. Enzo had been bombarded with friends and family after the graduation ceremony, saying their congratulations to him for becoming a full fledged Guardian. Enzo had waited for this moment all his life. Ever since Bob had come to Mainframe, this was all he wanted. And now, to see his family there with him as he completed Guardian training and was now what he had always wanted to be. There were no other people he wanted to prove himself to than the adults that surrounded him that night. 

Dot. 

His big sister, his second mother. A woman he loved more than life itself. She had always protected him, even babied him through his life, but now that he was older, he realized why she did the things she did to keep him safe. She was looking out for him. After their parents had been deleted, they were all alone in the system, in the Net. He was the only family Dot had left. And then after Bob and Enzo were lost to the Web and the Net, Dot was very overprotective of him, wanting him to stay out of games. Not wanting for the past to repeat itself again. But as she hugged him and told him how proud she was of him, Enzo wanted to thank her for everything. She had been the brightest spot in his life, but no words could probably tell her. 

Bob. 

The guardian who was a father to him. Enzo barely remembered his own father, being so young when the accident had occurred, but if he had to have a makeshift family, Dot would be his mother and Bob would be his father. He remembered when Dot had been pregnant with Kit and he had gone to stay with Matrix and AndrAIa for a while. He had been convinced Bob and Dot weren't going to love him anymore when he left for the Academy. He had a talk with Bob, who assured him that he and Dot loved him more than anything and always would. That's when the topic of adoption came up. Bob wanted to make Enzo his own, their own, but it would be Enzo's decision. If he wanted it, it could be arranged. Even though he would always be Enzo Matrix, for one of the most important nights of his life, he could proudly say he was Robert Lan's son. 

Matrix. 

The one person Enzo needed to be proud of him. It would've hurt him beyond belief if Matrix hadn't been proud of him. It was one thing to be rejected by someone, but your older version...it was a hard pill to swallow. But somehow the two had gotten use to each other, had managed to see eye to eye. Enzo felt sorry for the big sprite. He had lost his childhood to Megabyte and the games, he was too old to join him at the Academy, and he still felt responsible for what had happened to Mainframe until Megabyte's rule. This night was as much Matrix's as it was his. He wanted so much for Matrix to be happy and after the hours of the restart, it seemed he finally was. 

Enzo had said his goodbyes, watching as his family left, saying he would see them in a few seconds for his homecoming and birthday. But for now, Enzo's friends were throwing him a party at one of the local clubs on campus. It was great seeing all his friends and their families, wishing him well, asking what would be next and what system he'd be protecting. He did get some ribbing when he said Mainframe, those that knew him knowing Mainframe already had two guardians in it. But they knew the system meant a lot to him and it had helped put the Collective back in business, so to speak. Towards the end of the party, Alex had told him they needed to leave in order for her to give him his present. 

So now, there he was, zipping through the skies of the Super Computer, following his girlfriend to who knows where. They passed over the city and up into the nearby mountain range. This is was a good place for hikers and campers. He had camped out here as a training exercise with some members from his Survival Class. He was surprised Alex knew where she was going. The two headed toward a clearing over looking the bright lights of the Super Computer. 

"Okay, Scooter." Alex replied, slowing her zipboard and hopping off. "We're here." 

Enzo stopped behind her and jumped off his board as well. It was a grassy clearing, a proportion covered by a large blanket. On the blanket were two glasses, a bottle of chilled spirits, and a small frosted cupcake with a candle in the middle of it. Alex giggled, seeing the surprised look of his face. She grabbed his hand and lead him to the blanket, where they both sat down. Alex picked up the cupcake, lit the candle, and then handed it to Enzo. 

"Happy Birthday, Enzo Matrix." she said, smiling. "Make a wish." 

Enzo smiled, before closing his eyes, and blowing out the candle. "What'd you wish for?" Alex asked, watching as he removed the candle and the wrapping foil and began to eat the cupcake. 

"If I told you, then it won't come true." he said, chewing his cupcake. 

Alex stifled a laugh. She grabbed the bottle of spirits and opened it. Grabbing the glasses, she handed one to Enzo and began to pour. "And just how did you get your hands on this?" Enzo asked, with a raised eyebrow. 

"I have my own little ways." she said, pouring some for herself. "To you." she said, raising her glass for a toast. 

Enzo shook his head and replied, "To us." Clinking their glasses together, the two took a sip from their glasses. 

"So, how's it feel to be a full fledged guardian?" Alex asked, resting her head on his shoulder. 

"So far, it kinda feels the same, you know?" Enzo said, staring out at the city below them. "But I know it'll be different. Just like when Bob gave me the protocol, I didn't feel anything until a game cube dropped. Then it was like, I had to be in there. I think it'll be the same, but I'll have more of a responsibility to everyone in Mainframe." He turned to look at her. "Still think I'm random for choosing Mainframe to mend and defend?" 

"No." she said. "In fact, I kinda want to apologize for everything I ever said about you going back home." 

He placed a finger on her lips. "You don't have to." he said, removing the finger. He then grinned at her. "In fact, I think you already apologized." 

"When?" 

"When we were in the hospital." he said, winking at her. 

She scooted closer to him, her fingers playing with the buttons on his shirt. "I was hoping I could do a little more apologizing." she said, a seductive look in her eyes. Enzo leaned over and kissed her gently on the lips, then fell prey to the moment, making the kiss deeper. 

Breaking the kiss, he asked, "Hey, where's my present?" 

She gave him a look that clearly said what she had in mind. 

"Are you sure?" Enzo asked, catching the suggestive look. 

Alex leaned over and delivered a quick kiss. "I'm very sure." 

* * * 

Enzo and Alex walked hand and hand down the dormitory hall towards his room. His roommate was probably still at the graduation party, whichever one he went to. The stopped at the door and engaged in what Alex figured would be a good-bye kiss. When they parted, Enzo on the other hand, didn't want the night to end. 

"I'd hate for you to walk all the way back to your room at this time of night." he said, delivering a kiss to her neck. 

Alex giggled and said, "I don't think your roommate would appreciate me in there." 

"He's not even in." 

"Enzo, you know I can't spend the night in there." Alex protested, trying to stop herself from getting wrapped up their previous encounter. 

"I certainly won't tell." Enzo replied, going in for a kiss. 

Alex moved out of the way of the oncoming kiss. "Scooter," she purred, stroking his cheek. "Am I...?" 

"Yes." he said, kissing her lips. "In everything. I love you, Alex." He kissed her again. 

"Maybe I can stay for a little while." she said, moving towards the door, Enzo following her inside, and shutting the door. 

* * * 

Enzo awoke to the sun shinning in his dorm room and movement on the side of the bed. He yawned and stretched before opening his eyes. The room was basked in the light coming from the window and a figure was sitting next to him on the bed, putting on her shoes. 

"What do you think you're doing?" 

Alex smiled, but continued to tie her shoes. "Getting my Guardian Cadet bitmap out of here." she said, turning to face him. 

"Come on, Allie." he said, taking her hand in his. "It's really early. Come back to bed." 

"Have you forgotten you've got a boat ride back home today?" 

Enzo was instantly sitting up in bed, looking around for his stuff. "Oh User!" he cried. "What time is it?" 

"Calm down." she replied, putting a piece of lose hair behind her ear. "You've got a good two milliseconds before it leaves. I just wanted to make sure you were up, awake, and alert." 

"I'm up, I'm up." he muttered, laying back down. "Hmmm...two millis, huh?" 

"Don't even think about it." Alex replied, moving away before Enzo could grab her. "I need you to be aware and in control of your faculties. Besides, what kind of girlfriend would I be if I kept seducing you every chance I got?" She gave him a quick goodbye, before leaving the room through the door. 

* * * 

Enzo left with his backpack on one shoulder and turned to take one last look at the Guardian Academy. His goodbye felt like his first hello. He remembered standing in that same spot, with Bob and Matrix on either side of him, looking up at the large clock tower. He didn't think he had ever been so scared in his life. 

"You okay?" Bob asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. 

"You know we can always go back, Enzo." Matrix suggested, seeing the terrified look in his brother's eyes. 

"N..n..n..no." the boy stuttered. "I'm fine. I'm fine." But he wasn't fine. This was the scaredest he had probably ever been. He had lived all his life in Mainframe and now he had left his home to attend here. The Guardian Academy. For the next four hours. Four hours of training and working to rebuild the name of guardian. Four hours of studying and meeting new people... 

Four hours away from his family and friends. 

The second before had been the last time he would see Dot or Mouse or Ray or AndrAIa for the next four hours, with the exception of small holidays. He didn't know if he could do it. True, he was the only teenaged sprite in Mainframe and this would certianly help with his growing onslaught of puberty, but still. He was leaving everybody behind. Enzo had to beg and plead for Matrix and AndrAIa to teach at least ONE game class while he'd was there. Even Bob volunteered to do teaching duty again. But not because Turbo had asked after they had been freed from Daemon's power. They were doing it because Dot wanted to make sure Enzo would be okay and that was the feeling of the other three as well. So Matrix and Bob had accompained the young cadet. 

Enzo sighed, looking around one last time. The tower, the fountain, the buildings. The last four hours had been incredible and he wouldn't have traded them for anything. He had gotten more confident about himself, had made a ton of friends, and had even gotten a girlfriend, his first ever. He'd miss this place and the friends that were still there. This place had been a home when home was so far away. 

Enzo snapped from his thoughts when he heard a loud whistle come from behind him. He turned and saw a silvery woman standing at the front gates. She had blond hair and blue eyes and was smiling at the young Guardian. Enzo smiled back and nodded his head. It hadn't been easy to book passage on Maxine's ship, but she owed Matrix and AndrAIa a favor, not to mention Ray practically begged and pleaded with the search engine to give Enzo a ride back home. She relented and reworked some things, so she could drop Enzo by Mainframe then continue on with scheduled routes. Mouse and Ray had wanted to picked the young sprite up, but something came up in one of the other systems that Dot wanted them to check out, therefore Ray had asked Maxine to do the job. 

Enzo took one last look, before turning and following Maxine towards her ship. He'd be going home today. He was going home. 

* * * 

"So he's coming back when?" 

Matrix paced the floor of the command room for the fortieth time that second. Enzo was supposed to be arriving around that time, but they hadn't heard anything from him yet. It had been about two seconds since they last saw Enzo at graduation and they were now expecting him home. 

"Will you calm down?" Dot replied, sitting in a chair near the large round table in the center of the room. "You're going to wear a hole in my nice polished floors." 

"I don't see why he didn't just let me portal him out." Bob said, sitting on the table next to Dot. He had offered to just make a portal for Enzo, but he refused, saying he had something he wanted to try and it required him going on ship. 

"Perhaps young Enzo wanted to come by himself." replied Phong, as he rolled into the room. "A mark of..." 

"Hey!" AndrAIa interrupted, staring at her computer console. "We're being hacked!" 

"Raise the shields!" Matrix exclaimed. 

"Wait a minute." Bob said. He hopped from his seat and walked over to the larger sprite. "It might just be Mouse." 

"It's not Mouse." AndrAIa replied, trying to combat the incoming sequences. "I know Mouse and this isn't it." 

"Do we have a cause to be alarmed?" Dot asked. 

"Um...yeah!" Matrix insisted. 

"I don't think so." AndrAIa said, still typing away. "It's not Mouse, but it's kinda like her style. You know, if I didn't know better..." 

"Open a channel, Specky." Dot replied, standing. She raised her hand to stop the protests from Bob and Matrix. 

"Channel opened, Sir!" The one binome replied, turning to look at his commanding officer. 

"This is Dot Matrix, Command.Com of system Mainframe. State your name and function." 

The room was silent until a familiar sound of laughing could be heard. "You guys saw me not more than a second ago and you've already forgotten me?" Enzo quipped. "I'm hurt. Truly hurt." 

"I knew it." AndrAIa muttered, shaking her head. "Little wench." 

"I heard that, AndrAIa." Enzo said, still laughing. "And I know you don't mean it. Just trying to keep you on your toes, Sis." 

"All right, you troublemaker," Dot said, grinning. "Get your bitmap in bay seven. We'll meet you out there." 

"Fine." he replied, still laughing slightly. "Enzo out." 

Enzo was at least chuckling when Maxine's ship pulled into bay seven, where a waiting AndrAIa, Matrix, and Phong stood to greet him. 

"Ah, young Enzo." Phong said, as the young sprite stepped down and stood in front of the wise one. "It is joyous to see you again." 

"Believe me, Phong," Enzo said, extending his hand to shake Phong's. "The joy is totally on my part." 

"I should've know you'd do something like that." AndrAIa said, hands on her hips, as she stood with Matrix by Phong's side. 

"Hey, I'm just trying to keep you sharp and aware, Dre." Enzo said, opening his arms. 

The game sprite shook her head, before giving her brother in law a big hug. "Annoying little null." she said, ruffling his hair. When she pulled back, she noticed the new addition on her little brother. "Oh, Dot's just going to love that." she laughed, flicking the small studded earring that was now in his right ear. 

"Be careful." he said, wincing slightly. "I just had it pierced. Call it an early birthday present from me to myself. Besides, don't you know, Dre?" He winked at Matrix before turning back to her and saying, "Chicks just love guys with earrings." 

AndrAIa rolled her eyes as Matrix nodded in agreement. Enzo grinned as he saw Dot and Bob join them. He shook hands with Bob before giving his sister a big hug, best to his abilities in order to avoid her rather large stomach. "Sorry about the scare." he said in her ear. 

"No biggie." she replied, squeezing him tighter. "I'm just glad you're finally home." She pulled back to look at him. "That's not an earring in your ear, is it?" 

AndrAIa choked down a laugh, saying "Told ya." as the group walked back towards the command room. 

* * * 

"And I said, 'What? Don't you know guardians always keep their word?' I've never laughed so hard..." 

The group had ventured back inside to the command room, where Enzo was greeted by the rest of the Principal Office staff. The young guardian was now telling tales of his adventures at the Guardian Academy. 

"Oh!" he said, catching his breath. "And then there was this time..." 

"Oh no, he's getting as bad as Bob." AndrAIa quipped. 

"Trust me, Andri," Dot said, throwing an arm around her husband. "No one is as bad as Bob." 

The room exploded into laughter, as Bob feigned a look of hurt. As the group laughed, no one noticed how Enzo seemed to be flickering in and out suddenly. When Matrix did spot the change...Enzo just vanished. 

"Great." the green giant muttered. "Can't we have a peaceful family moment without any interruptions?" 

"Apparently not." AndrAIa said. 

"Should we go get him back?" Dot asked, a worried look on her face. 

"He'll be okay." Bob assured her. "Like it or not, we're obviously not the intended audience here." 

* * * 

Enzo found himself in a darkened room with only a light coming from the opposite wall. As he walked towards it, he knew exactly where he was and how he had gotten there. Sure enough, as he approached the light, he saw a large throne near the wall and a small table placed in front of it. On the table was a tray of sprite shaped biscuits and a silver pot of tea. 

"My, my," said a sweet voice. It seemed to be oozing from the walls and surrounding him as he stood. "What do we have here? Why, it's a guardian! And a big, strong one at that." 

Enzo noticed the white hand slowly move across his chest and the presence of a body behind him. He could feel the hot breath of the being on his neck as it moved in closer to him. "Hello, Young Guardian." it whispered in his ear. 

"Hexadecimal." Enzo replied, not particularly in the mood for the show he was now participating in. 

The ex-virus cackled, letting Enzo go and walking towards the table. Enzo noticed nothing about the virus had changed much. No matter what happened during or after the restart, Hexadecimal would always be a virus to him and nothing more or less. He did notice that she was incredibly beautiful and had even thought about her early on while growing into sprite hood {if he could erase those seconds of puberty when all he could think about were girls...}. 

"This is certainly a surprise, Hex." Enzo said, taking cautious steps toward the chair offered to him. "Something on your mind?" 

"Must I have something on my mind to have company?" Hex asked, sweetly. She poured two cups of tea for the both of them and pointed to the biscuit tray. 

"No thanks." Enzo said, quickly. Hex was known for her rather...odd concoctions of bakery. "And to answer your question, you usually do. That's why I asked." 

Hex laughed again. "You are a clever boy." she said. "Must come from Bob's side of the family. Speaking of which, how is Bob?" 

"Fine." Enzo replied, sipping his tea. "Happily married, father of a great kid, expecting one more. Really alphanumeric." Enzo gave her an evil grin as he remind the virus that Bob was not hers in any way. 

"Hmm, yes." she said, waving the conversation away. "Anyway, I couldn't help but notice you've come back to our little system and this time as a guardian no less. Tell me, how was your training?" 

Enzo looked at her. She was up to something, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. But he was going to take Bob's approach to the ex-virus. Keep her happy, until she makes a slip. "It was fine, Hex." he answered. "Learned a lot of things there. But I'm happy to be back home." 

"I hear your birthday is tomorrow." Hex said, crossing her long legs. "That must be exciting." 

Enzo put his cup on the table and stood up. "Cut the games, Hex." he said, glaring at the virus. "What do you want?" 

"Some show of respect to your elders would be appropriate." Hexadecimal shot back. The two locked into a deadly stare. Just when it seemed Hex would blow her processor, she calmed down and went back to drinking her tea. "I just wanted to wish you happy birthday, that's all." she said. 

"I bet." he said. "Goodbye, Hexadecimal. Our meeting has been interesting. As usual." 

"I never said you could leave, guardian." 

As Enzo turned, Hex stood before him, blocking his way. "I may have been a little harsh, young guardian." Hex purred, embracing Enzo in her arms. "Surely there's some way I can make it up to you." She ran the back of her hand across his cheek, but was caught by Enzo's hand. 

"Sorry, Hex." he said, coolly. "But I..." He debated about telling her he had a girlfriend, but then he smiled and said, "But I don't think I'm man enough for you." He made his way from her arms and stood, back towards her. "The door, Hex," he said, looking over his shoulder at her. "Or do I make my own?" 

"You wouldn't dare." the virus spat, glaring at Enzo. 

"Try me." 

Hex glared at him, before smiling and saying, "You're more like your brother Matrix second after second." With a wave of her hand, Enzo found himself standing outside of her lair in Lost Angles. Shaking his head, he got his zipboard and headed towards the Diner. 

* * * 

"AndrAIa, I can't see." 

The next second, AndrAIa had stolen Enzo away from everyone in order to show him something. They had zipped back to the Eight Ball apartments where she and her family lived, but as soon as they hit the ground, she covered his eyes and told him to walk straight. 

"Now, you're sure you can't see?" she asked, leading him towards the garage. 

"AndrAIa, I can't see a...OW!" Enzo exclaimed, as he tripped over the curb. 

"Watch your step there." 

"Yeah." he replied, sarcastically. "Thanks." 

The game sprite giggled at his complaints and lead him through the garage doorway, before stopping him. "Dre," Enzo asked, still unable to see. "Is there a reason you wanted to see me?" 

"Yes." AndrAIa laughed. "I wanted to give you your present early, that way we could have some fun before the party." 

"What exactly are you planning?" he asked, suspiciously. 

"Why don't I show you?" 

She uncovered his eyes and Enzo was once again greeted by the light of the second. "Dre," he said, looking around. "What exactly..." Then he saw it. He couldn't believe his eyes, it was beautiful. He took a couple of steps forward, wanting to reach out and touch it, see if it was real or a dream. 

"So, little brother," AndrAIa asked, putting an arm around his shoulders. "Do you like it?" 

His response was to grab her in a big bear hug, causing her to shriek and laugh in surprise. "Do I like it?" he asked, swinging her around. "I can't believe it!" He sat her back down and hugged her again. "It's great, AndrAIa. It really is." 

"I hoped you'd like it." she said, smiling at him. "It's a present from both Matrix and I, but it's more my present than it is his." 

"It's great." Enzo replied, slightly out of breath. "It's great. It's just like you to get me this." He grinned before saying, "What is it with...?" 

"Yeah, yeah." she said, rolling her eyes. 

"I said it before. It's like fate. Kismet. You are meant to be a biker babe. What else can I say?" She laughed and he looked at her for a moment, remembering the crush he had on her. She still had that pull on him, but at least he was older and wiser to know when a crush was a crush. Besides, he'd proven his love for Alex before he left. Speaking of Matrix, his brother actually owed him a favor. "Hey... can we...?" he asked, a mischievous look in his eye. 

"I thought you'd never ask." AndrAIa said, tossing him a helmet. 

* * * 

Matrix walked through the door of Dot's Diner and saw the decorations had been set up just fine without him. He had been looking for AndrAIa, but couldn't find her any where. In fact, he couldn't find Enzo either. Dot would not be happy if their brother missed his own birthday party. He scanned the Diner, looking for Dot and/or Bob, and found them both behind the counter. 

"Hey." he said, walking over towards them and taking a seat on a bar stool. 

"Hey." Bob replied, ducking underneath to retrieve something. He popped back up and asked, "Where's Enzo?" 

Matrix shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno." 

Dot popped up from the other side of Bob and looked at her brother. "What do you mean, you don't know?" she exclaimed. "You were supposed to keep him occupied until the party then bring him here!" 

Realization set in to Matrix, as his mouth formed an "oh" and he closed his eyes. "I knew I was supposed to do something today." he said, grimacing. He opened his eyes and looked at Dot. "But don't worry. He should be in good hands. I think he's with AndrAIa, but I have no idea where they are." 

"That's just great." Dot muttered, throwing her hands in the air. "The birthday boy is lost." 

"He's not lost, Dot." Bob corrected. "He's with AndrAIa. He'll come back sooner or later." 

"Sooner than later." Matrix replied, stressing the "sooner". Bob looked at him in amusement. "You're married to the girl, along with having two children with her and you're still afraid your brother is going to still her away from you?" he asked, a small grin on his face. 

"No!" Matrix exclaimed, a characteristic scowl appearing on his face. "Besides...he IS me, you know." 

Dot looked at both sprites, an unhappy look on her face. A look that both Bob and Matrix were familiar with. Both stopped their conversation immediately. "Where do you think they went?" she asked Matrix. 

"You mean Enzo and AndrAIa?" he asked. 

"No, I mean Phong and the Mainframe Strolling Players!" Dot exploded. Though Bob and Matrix were used to Dot's temper while she had been pregnant with Kit, it was still a bit intimidating when the young business sprite was yelling at them. "Of course I mean Enzo and AndrAIa!" 

"Um..." Matrix said quietly, stuttering a bit. "I...I um...I think they went to get AndrAIa's present." 

"Oh." Dot replied, much calmer than before, seemingly unaware of the hostility she had just let lose with. "Why didn't you say so?" 

"Baby, maybe you should sit down for a while." Bob suggested, hoping she would do that very deed. 

"Good idea." she said, walking around the counter to sit down in one of the booths. 

Bob and Matrix exchanged a look, one of many that hoped the last minutes of her pregnancy would be coming soon. 

* * * 

The Diner was filled with various inhabitants of Mainframe, including Phong, who had made his way from the Principal Office just so he could attend the celebration. Various gifts were stacked on the counter waiting to be opened, a small group of the Mainframe Strolling Players, led by Mike the TV, stood in a corner rehearsing their song, Binome Traveler, a local band, sat in a booth having energy shakes. The party seemed to be in full swing, except for one thing. 

The birthday boy was no where to be found. 

Cecil, the Diner's waiter, was busy moving around getting orders from patrons and muttering about how they were losing business because much of the food was free. Dot just rolled her eyes as the server came past, muttering about how many units they were losing to the disreputable clientele they had in their mist. Dot talked to Phong, while looking at the large window for any sign of her brother and sister in law. She did spot Capt. Capacitor and the rest of the pirate crew coming towards the door, presents in their hands and singing a song. Bob greeted the group at the door and told them to have a seat. 

A few microseconds later, the guests heard a loud rumbling coming their way. Some panicked, thinking the worst. Mike dove under a table and cowered in fear. The tension seemed to ease when Matrix muttered, "About time." as he looked out the window. The guests rushed to the window to see what the noise was. A motorbike pulled up to the curb, with a rider on the seat. The bike had been restored to its original stylings, but a few extras. It was now black, with a long green stripe going along the side of it, ending at the name MATRIX. The rider wore a helmet that clearly stated who the rider was. ENZO was written nicely on the black metallic helmet in purple. Another bike pulled up behind the first, this one was metallic blue, with a black stripe going along the side, also stopping at the name MATRIX. The rider's helmet was also black, but had the name ANDRAIA written in blue. Both riders removed their helmets and broke into a fit of laughter. "I beat you, Dre!" Enzo exclaimed, still laughing. "Fair and square." 

"Fair nothing." The game sprite laughed. "You know you cheated, Zo. Playing tag is not a way to win. New rule!" 

The two stopped laughing when they noticed the people on the Diner staring at them. Matrix was pointing to his wrist, complaining behind the window about their lateness, while Bob chuckled softly. "Were you guys waiting for us?" Enzo asked innocently. 

* * * 

Enzo had never been happier. His birthday was spectacular, just like his others. Dot had gotten one of his favorite bands, The Binome Travelers, to play. Mike had led the MSP in a wonderful song written for and dedicated to Enzo himself. Bob had given his first guardian pins to the young sprite and Phong had given the boy advice...along with a tree in the conservatory. Though they were odd gifts, Enzo appreciated them. Anything Phong gave or said always had a double meaning to it and the answer would only come when you weren't thinking. Capt. Capacitor and the crew made Enzo an honorary pirate, because the boy spent some of his time on and around the Saucy Wench during and after it had been built. 

But the biggest surprise came from Dot. 

During the celebration, Dot had led Enzo away from the noise and chatter, so she could talk to him alone. "You're all compiled up." she said, softly, trying to hold back the tears that were coming to her eyes. "Dot..." Enzo said, trying to save his sister from some emotional scene. 

"No, I'm serious." she said, cupping the side of his face with her hand. "You're an adult now. Do you now how long I've waited and wanted to watch you compile up? You're big and strong, just like your brother. And a guardian. I know how long that's been your dream." She smiled up at him. "I'm proud of you, Enzo." 

Enzo sighed and wrapped his arms around her, resting his cheek on the top of her head. "Dot, you delete me." he said, giving her a squeeze. They stood like that for about nano, before Enzo pulled back and looked at her. "Was that what you were going to tell me?" he asked in confusion. 

"No, that's not what I wanted to tell you." Dot said sarcastically, but with a hint of laughter in her voice. "I wanted to give you your present and talk to you for a nano." 

"Okay." he said, letting her go. "What's processing?" 

"I know that with Kit's arrival and you in the Academy, we really haven't gotten a chance to sit and have a talk." 

"Am I in trouble?" he asked, suspiciously. Dot laughed. 

"No, you're not in trouble." she said, giggling. "I just...I just wanted to let you how proud I am of you." 

"Oh Dot," he said, blushing. "I know that." 

"I wish Mom and Dad could see us now." Dot replied, quietly. 

"Yeah." he said, his voice matching hers. "Me, too." 

The two were quiet for a micro, each lost in their own thoughts. Finally Dot said, "But enough of that. I've got to give your present." She reached into her pocket and handed him a key code. Enzo took it and looked at it in confusion. He then looked at Dot again. "And this is the key to...?" he asked. 

"Your new apartment." she answered. 

"My what?" he asked in surprise. 

Dot smiled at him, watching as recognition set in. His sister was giving him an apartment. His very first apartment. "It's actually a place you should be used to." she continued. "It's Matrix and AndrAIa's apartment. You know when they moved out after Chip was initialized, that left a vacancy in the Eight Ball Apartments. So I thought it was only fitting that..." her sentence caught off from the sudden and joyous hug she received from Enzo. 

"Ohmygosh, Dot, Ican'tbelieveyouactuallygotmeanapartment!Andnotjustandapartment, but..." his words ran over each other, memories of his younger seconds present in Dot's ears. She laughed at his ramblings, knowing how excited he was at having his first apartment. 

* * * 

It was well into the night before the party begun to wind down. Bob and AndrAIa had left to make their children weren't destroying something or themselves, leaving the Matrix siblings in the Diner cleaning up. After the majority of clean up was done, Matrix put an arm around his baby brother. "Hey, Dot. Mind if I steal Enzo for a few micros?" he asked. 

"I thought you were going to help me clean up." Dot said, sitting in her favorite booth. 

"We'll come back." Enzo insisted. "It'll only take a milli at best." 

Dot looked at them suspiciously. "What're you two up to?" she asked. 

"I have to give Enzo my present, don't I?" Matrix asked. 

"I thought that piece of junk out there was his present." Dot said, motioning with her head to Enzo's bike. Both brothers got a deadly look on their faces, causing Dot to burst out laughing. "Okay, you troublemakers," she said, trying to calm down. "But I expect you back in a little over a millisecond. Got it?" 

"Yes, sir!" they chimed, each giving her a salute, making Dot laugh again. The two brothers said goodbye to their sister and walked out of the Diner. 

* * * 

"Are you sure you want to do this?" 

Matrix and Enzo stood on the sidewalk of Sector 31, famous for Al's Wait and Eat that was only a block from where they stood. The two stood in front of a small building complex, featuring three stores all lined together. They looked at the middle building. 

"Yes, I'm sure." Enzo said, his heart racing a mile a microsecond. "I've never been so sure." 

"You got the earring." Matrix said, glancing at his younger self. "You really don't have to do this, you know." 

"Hey, when I was little you promised that when I turned 1.8, you'd do this for me." Enzo challenged. "Are you going back on your word?" 

"No." Matrix replied, looking at Enzo. "I'm just saying you don't have to do this." 

"I know." Enzo said, meekly. He took a deep breath. "I love her, Enzo." he said. "I really do want to do this." 

Matrix looked at his younger brother in surprise, then in sudden realization. He nodded and smiled. "Early birthday present, huh?" he asked, chuckling. "I figured this was the reason. I knew you'd do this sooner or later." 

Enzo looked over at his brother in confusion. "What do you mean?" 

"I got mine the second after." Matrix replied, rather smugly. Enzo looked at his brother and a role reversal happened, as Enzo slowly come to the conclusion to the statement. 

"How old were you?" he asked, in awe. 

"2 hours younger," his brother replied, again looking up at the building sign. "But I knew AndrAIa was who I wanted to spend my life with. We'd already shared so much and I wanted to show how much I loved her." 

"You know," Enzo said, a hint of mischief in his voice and dancing in his eyes. "You could've just gotten her flowers." 

"Touché." Matrix replied, sarcastically. Again the two looked at the sign. "You're sure?" 

"Yeah." Enzo said, nodding. "I'm sure." 

"Okay." Matrix said, shrugging his shoulders. The two walked up to the door and started to walk in. "You're a lot braver, I'll say that. All in the same second. First an earring, now a tattoo." 

* * * 

"What're you doing here?" 

Enzo and Matrix sat in a little booth in Al's Wait and Eat when Dot came to stand next to the table. "I had been wanting to talk to Al, but I found you guys first." she replied, sitting down next to Matrix. "And what do you think the two of you are doing here?" Her brothers looked at each other and then at their sister. Neither said anything at first, until a look from Dot prompted them to say something. 

"We were in the neighborhood?" Enzo said, meekly. 

"Hmmm..." Dot said, suspicious of the whole set up. "That's good to know. Because I know your brother wouldn't take you down here for a drink, knowing I don't condone underage drinking." 

The boys took a combined gulp. "Now even for a special occasion?" Enzo asked. 

"What special occasion?" Dot asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"Ah, come on, Dot." Matrix pleaded. "Just this once. I'll take full responsibility if he gets out of hand." 

"Which won't happen, Dot!" Enzo piped up. The skater sprite brought over two I/O shots and set them on the table, avoiding Dot's look, and skated away. 

"Besides..." Matrix said, also avoiding Dot's look and taking a glass. "We already ordered." Dot rolled her eyes and looked at Enzo, who was looking at her expectantly. 

"Oh, go ahead." she replied, waving him away. Enzo smiled and picked up his glass. "Just this once, Enzo." his sister warned. "I shouldn't even turn a blind eye to this, but I guess as long as I'm here, you should be okay." 

"Thanks, Dot." Matrix said, taking a drink. 

Enzo followed suit, relishing the sweetness of the drink. He also counldn't believe Dot was letting him do this. It didn't even take much to talk Al's Waiter into letting him have this one drink. The rest of the night was spending having kinda of a Matrix family talk. It had been a while since the three siblings had spent sometime together, just the three of them. Enzo ejoyed it. He hadn't spent much time with Dot and Matrix since he left for the Academy. It was nice to just sit down and talk to his older siblings. Dot and Matrix both restated that they were proud of him and they were glad that he was home. 

"It wasn't the same around here without you, Sprout." Matrix replied, grinning at his younger brother. 

"I'm glad you're staying in Mainframe for a while." Dot said. 

"I wouldn't feel right if I defended some other system." Enzo admitted. "Besides, you guys just can't stay out of trouble." 

"Trouble, huh?" Matrix laughed. "I seem to remember a time..." 

"Now, wait a nano..." Enzo protested. 

The three laughed and joked about the past. After a couple of milliseconds, the siblings said goodbye, Matrix going with Dot, while Enzo headed to new apartment. Located in Kits, the 8 Ball Apartments were all nestled in bed when Enzo walked down the hall to his apartment. Matrix and Bob had set the room back up, most of Bob's furniture still there from previously. It was Enzo's furniture now. He stumbled to the couch and laid down. The cycle had been exciting. He'd have to wait a little while before he'd know for sure if he was the new guardian of Mainframe. Until then, he'd just enjoy this free time. He'd have to move somethings around, of course, and move his stuff in. Things seemed to be going right this time. 

But would it stay that way? 

Enzo drifted off to sleep that night, unaware that anything bad could happen now. They had defeated all the bad and it could get better. 

Right? 

END 


	4. Memories Are Made of This

**Memories Are Made of This**   
  


**Chapter 1 - The Twin City Revisited**

It was the start of a beautiful second in Mainframe. The sky was a pretty light blue, the city was remarkably buzzing with activity, and a figure moved slowly underneath covers and pillows on the bed. A pair of violet eyes peered from under the stack of pillows and glanced at the clock. 08:30am. He'd have to get up sooner or later. Definitely sooner, due to the meeting he had at 0900. The young sprite pushed the pillows away and sat up tiredly in bed. 

He had green skin and a tattoo on his left pec, a long stem rose with the name "ALEXANDRIA" over it. His hair was mussed and his small goatee had quickly turned into a beard. Enzo Matrix tried his best to rise and shine. He had that meeting to attend to at 0900. That caused him to smile. It was his first second as an official guardian. And after begging and pleading, he had finally convinced the Prime Guardian to let him be assigned to Mainframe, despite protest that there were already two other guardians assigned to the system. It was amazing though. With all that Mainframe had gone through, it surprised Enzo that it wasn't guarded by at least _fifteen _guardians. But it didn't matter. He had gotten his wish. He was now reporting for the first time as the Guardian of Mainframe. 

Now all he had to do was wake up and get dressed. 

He was still sitting up in bed, eyes closed, and on the verge of falling back down when a vidwindow appeared before him, waking him up. Enzo gave the caller a tired smile. "Morning Phong." The sagely old sprite shifted his glasses on his face and looked at Enzo. "Good Morning, my son." he said. "I hope I haven't awaken you, Young Guardian." 

Enzo smiled at the name. Young Guardian. It was a name Phong had called his brother Bob when he first came to Mainframe. He had used it to address his older brother Matrix when he had gotten the guardian protocol. And now he used it to address him. Guardian Enzo Matrix. It was becoming a slight tradition with his family. His smile got wider and he responded to Phong's statement. 

"No, Phong." he said. "I was about to get up anyways." 

"It is imperative you come quickly, Enzo." Phong seemed to be agitated about something. Enzo slightly hoped it was that the meeting was being moved back to 10:00. That would give him another millisecond of sleep. 

"Is this about the meeting?" he asked. 

"The meeting will be moved back to 10:00." Phong replied, clearly not caring about that. "I've asked for your brother and sister to join me. I have found... something of great importance to you." Enzo looked at Phong in confusion, then decided whatever it was, must be important. 

"Okay, Phong. I'll be there." 

After a shower and a quick shave, Enzo stood in front of the mirror in his bedroom. He was dressed in his Guardian blue uniform and was combing his hair. He had gotten it cut so he'd look nice for graduation, but he still had his braided tail that was reaching slightly past his neck. He had shaved the 0500 shadow of a beard to a small mustache and trademark goatee. He heard a slight beeping coming from his dresser. "Come on, Deco, " he said, holding out his arm. Deco was his keytool, one he had used repeatedly during training and was glad when it chose him as its guardian. He gave himself another once over and left the bedroom. He took another look at his apartment. Another tradition. This used to be Bob's apartment when Enzo was smaller. After he, Matrix, and AndrAIa came back to Mainframe, Bob and Dot had finally realized what they meant to each other and Bob moved out and had given the place to Matrix and AndrAIa. When they decided their daughter needed a sibling, they left and handed the place to him. His first apartment. Things were working out perfectly. 

With one last look, Enzo grabbed his shades and his zipboard and headed to the Principal Office. 

Enzo zipped along, waving to the binomes who passed him. He came to a stop outside the doors of the Principal Office when he noticed two familiar figures trying to get in. They were two droids, one red, the other blue. They were trying to decide who would use whose codes to get in. 

"Look, I used mine last time." 

"No, you didn't. I used my codes last time." 

"No you didn't" 

"Yes I did." 

"You did not." 

"Did too." 

"Not." 

"Did." 

"Not" 

"Did." 

"Need some help, boys?" Enzo replied, startling the two bots from their argument. 

The two looked at him, then each other, then back at Enzo. "Wow. Enzo, is that you in there?" the blue bot asked in awe. 

"It's definitely me, Hack." Enzo replied, giving them a smile. 

"You look just like Bob when he came," Slash replied. 

"Except you are not blue." 

"Yes. You definitely aren't blue." 

"I am blue. You are green." 

"But blue and green go together." 

"Like Enzo and his uniform?" 

"Like Dot and Bob!" The two chorused happily. 

Enzo rolled his eyes in amusement. The two were walking, rambling idiots, but they were fiercely loyal to Dot and everyone in her circle. And best of all, the kids loved them. "Here, let me help you guys out." The sprite replied, walking to the door of the P.O. He punched in his code and the door replied with, "Authorization. Guardian Enzo Matrix. Confirmed. Welcome." With that, the door opened and Enzo let Hack and Slash through the door. 

"Thank you, Enzo." 

"Oh yes. Thank you very much." 

"No problem." the youth laughed. "All in a second's work." He followed the two and the door closed behind them. Enzo walked behind the bots until they reached the main center of the Principal Office. The two bots stood on either side of the door, taking guard duty. "You boys stay out of trouble now, okay?" Enzo joked, leaving the two arguing over what they would have for lunch. Enzo walked in and was met by the Command.Com and the Chief of Security. 

"Looking pretty cool, Sprout." replied Matrix, watching his little brother walk in. 

"It's the shades." Enzo said, pointing to the sporty little shades he had bought for his birthday. 

Dot Matrix smiled at her baby brother. His first day as a guardian. She had realized a while ago that Bob and Matrix had a big impact on him when he was younger. Not just because of their guardian past, but their attitudes. Enzo had the cocky attitude and the quick wisecracks of Bob. But on the other coin, he fancied himself a "bad boy", like his brother Matrix, though he would never willingly do something wicked. But despite everything, they had been his heroes throughout his life and most importantly, they were his family. 

"Morning, Guardian Matrix." Dot replied, looking over her brother in his uniform. 

"Morning, Commander Matrix. Chief Matrix." Enzo said, smiling back at the two of them. 

"Ready for your first second, Guardian?" Matrix asked. 

"Absolutely." The lad replied, grinning at his older brother. "Just as soon as I find out why Phong wanted me here so early." 

"That makes three of us, baby brother." Dot replied. Soon, the wise old sprite emerged through the door, a small disk in his hands. 

"Oh good, you are here." He said, seeing the Matrix siblings. "Let us talk in your office, Dot." Dot nodded and walked into her office, followed by Matrix and Enzo. Phong looked carefully at Enzo as he passed and smiled. "I see you are ready for the new second, Young Guardian." he replied, coming in behind the lad and shutting the door. 

"Ready, willing, and definitely able." Enzo beamed, giving the sprite a large smile. 

"I can only hope the second stays as youthful and excited." The three siblings looked at each and then at Phong in confusion. 

"I called each of you in to tell you that I had found something of great importance, yes?" Phong asked, looking at the trio. 

Dot nodded. "Yes, Phong." she replied, still not sure why only the three of them were there. "I'm guessing this is something that deals with the three of us, correct? I mean, that would explain why only the three of us are here. Unless someone is late." 

"You are correct, my child." Phong said, holding the disk in his spiney fingers. "I was looking through some of the old files in my chamber and came across this disk. I've only called the three of you because it has importance to your lives and perhaps the lives of many in Mainframe." 

"Phong, I don't think I understand." Matrix said. "That makes two of us." Enzo muttered. They all loved Phong, but the sprite had the habit of taking the long way around to answer a simple question. 

"This disk holds a key to your past, my children." Phong continued. "That is why I asked you to be here." 

"A key to our past?" Dot asked. "Phong, what exactly is on that disk?" 

"I will show you." 

Phong went over and placed the disk in a small tray on Dot's desk. A vidwindow popped up and the screen was dark until a picture came up. It was a bird's eye view of a large city, the size of Mainframe. It had tall buildings, a large beautiful bridge looming in the distance. Matrix and Enzo looked at the city with looks of confusion, but nestled deep was a sense of recognition. Phong knew they were too young to remember, but Dot remembered. She knew exactly what this place was. 

"The Twin City." she breathed, almost in shock. She never thought she'd see this city again. 

The view went through the city, showing sprites of all ages walking around, shopping, rushing to work. The Twin City was the scientific part of Mainframe. While Mainframe was the industrial city, bringing in trade to both cities and bestowing the majority of businesses, the Twin City was where all the new developments took place. The Twin City Museum was located here, as well as the Little Theater. The main attraction though were the Science Labs. Where new inventions were made, new breakthroughs were the discovered... 

Where James and Patricia Matrix worked. 

The tour of the city quickly turned into a family outing. The person holding the camera kept moving it in order to get a good look at a little white bundle... 

_"Hold the camera still, Dottie." replied the young sprite. He was sitting on a large blanket that was spread out on the green grass of the park. He had a light green tone to his body, with short black hair, and dark eyes that peeked through black rimmed glasses. He had a thin beard and a happy smile. He sat next to a green skinned sprite, with long black hair put into a bun. She had dark, mysterious violet eyes, and was holding a small bundle wrapped in white._

_"I'm trying, Daddy." replied a voice, coming somewhere off screen._

Dot repeated the word after she heard it, the memory of saying it brought a tear to her eye, but she managed to hold it back. 

_"Mom, are you going to take him out of that blanket?" the voice asked, trying to move closer to see what the bundle was._

_"Okay, but try not to scare him." The woman replied, removing a section of the blanket._

_"Patty, he's a baby, not a null." the man quipped. With the section of blanket removed, the camera now moved in to catch a shot of the baby._

_He had green skin, like his parents, and black hair. His eyes were closed and he was sucking his thumb. The baby started to stir, as though experiencing a bad dream and wanted to wake up. "Come on, Enzo." Patricia cooed. "Wake up for Mommy." The baby seemed to respond to the sweet command and opened its eyes. It was obvious the boy got his eyes from his mother. The camera stayed on the small child as he yawned and looked around at his surroundings. The camera pulled back and caught the young family._

_"Come here, Dottie. Let's get you in the shot." James replied, standing up and walking towards the camera. "But Dad..." came the complaint, but soon the young girl whose voice had been the narrator stepped over to the blanket. She looked about 1.2 and looked like her mother. Her hair was shorter and she seemed a bit shy._

_"Wave to the camera, Dottie." replied James' voice, coming out in the distance._

_Dot gave a goofy wave to the camera before taking a seat next to her mother. "My little family." James joked, making the girls giggle. "James, come over and get another shot of Enzo." The little baby was now becoming a bit more lively, squirming in his mother's arms._

_"Look at that energy." James said, getting another close up of his son. "He'll be boundless when he gets older."_

_"Daddy, please!" Dot groaned. "Don't put ideas in his head."_

_The comment made Patricia laugh out loud, especially when she saw the look on her husband's face. "Come on, Jimmy," Patricia coaxed. "Put the camera down and have some lunch. Who knows when the last time you ate."_

_"We're close, Patty. I know it." was the last thing recorded before the camera went off._

_* * *_

_Two sprites in lab coats stood at a counter in one of the Science Labs. Pushing his goggles to his forehead, James gave a dissatisfied sigh. "I don't understand it." he muttered. "I just don't understand it. Millies, seconds, minutes, hours...and we're still no closer to finding a cure."_

_"James, we mustn't give up hope." Patricia replied, removing her goggles and giving her husband a small hug. "Think of what this could mean. All those nulls around the city could be changed back to the sprites they once were."_

_"I know, Patty. I know."_

_"Look, maybe we just need a break." Patricia smiled at him, hoping the change in subject would make him feel better. "Well..." he said, hesitantly. "You go check on the kids and I'll finish up here. Then we can have lunch." Patricia nodded sadly and walked away._

_They were working too hard, but the outcome would be so important. So many sprites had lost their lives to the games, now that their guardian was no more. This project would mean the difference to those sprites. But it had been over five and a half hours since they began and they were still no closer to finding a solution to their problem. James would work non-stop in order to find the answer. She smiled slightly. The man was an incurable workaholic. The whole thought of working on the project put her spirits down, but she had to put on a happy face for her children. She went into their shared office and brought up a vidwindow._

_"Enzo, stop!"_

_"But Mommy said I could have one!"_

_"One! Not twelve!"_

_Dot turned to see the vidwindow. "Oh, hi Mom." The teenager put on a slight smile for her mother._

_"Mommy!" came a small cry and in an instant, 0.4 hour old Enzo Matrix was in front of his mother. "Mommy, yousaidIcouldhaveasnack, butDotwon'tletmehaveasnackcauseshe'sbeingmeanand..."_

_"Enzo, sweetheart, slow down!" Patricia laughed. Her son was processing a mile a nano._

_"Mom, you said Enzo could have a treat, but he's been eating like there's no tomorrow!" Dot explained, exasperated by her little brother's constant ramblings. The two were sitting in the diner their parents had just bought. When their parents had told her their idea to start another business, this time a restaurant, she responded so well to the idea, they named the place after her. Dot's Diner was now an up and coming business in Mainframe._

_"How's the diner, baby?"_

_"It's running fine, Mom." Dot said, proudly. Her parents had put her in charge of it, making it an after school job of sorts. "Cecil says the energy shakes are flying out the door! I only wish my little bratty brother wasn't eating all the en...Stop it!" Dot had caught Enzo taking another energy bar from the counter._

_"Mom, can't you do something with Enzo!?" Dot pleaded._

_"Dot, he's your brother." Patricia said. "He's family. What would happen if your father and I weren't around to care for you two?"_

_"Aw, Mom," Dot replied, chuckling at the absurdity. "You and Dad wouldn't leave us. I know you wouldn't!"_

_"You know your father and I love you both and we would never willingly leave you two by yourselves, but just remember, he's family. One second he may be the only one you have left." Dot looked at her mother in concern. This was certainly an odd, if not disturbing, conversation. "I just called to check up on you two." Patricia stated, bringing Dot back from her thoughts. "Keep yourselves out of trouble, okay?"_

_"Okay, Mom."_

_"Bye bye Mommy!" Enzo called._

_"Look out for your brother, Dot. Enzo, you stop eating so many energy bars. You're going to make yourself sick. We might be late coming home. I love you both."_

_"Love you, Mom."_

_"Love Mommy!"_

_"I'll see you later."_

_* * *_

_It had been another two hours before James thought he might have the answer. After viewing null after null after null, he thought he might have the answer they'd been looking for. He had been viewing a particular blue and green null and making adjustments. He saw some movement with the null and it looked like it was changing, but the movement stopped after a few micros. James felt if he used more of the treatment, he'd be able to change it back to the sprite it once was. He immediately called his team, including Patricia. While he waited, he gave a call to the Diner, where he knew Dot and Enzo would be._

_"Hi Dad!" replied an enthusiastic Enzo. The lad was now a cheerful 0.6 hour old and usually spent his time in his sister's diner. James and Patricia had built a small apartment downstairs, where Dot, now 2.0, lived._

_"Hey there, Sport." James said, giving his son a smile. "How was school?"_

_"Terribly basic." the boy groaned. "I've got a read me file report due on the present imports and trades of Mainframe. How boring can one thing be?" James laughed. He never enjoyed school that much either, not until he knew what he wanted to be._

_"Well, make sure you do it." he said. "It might not be fun, but you'll need that education. Here's what I'll do. Later when I come home, I'll help you with that little basic report. How about that?"_

_"Alphanumeric!" cried Enzo. He loved spending time with his dad. He seemed to know everything!_

_James again laughed, a sound Enzo encouraged. He loved his father's laugh. That and his mother's smile. "Okay, Sport. Tell you sister hi for me and that I love her. I love you too, Enzo."_

_"Love ya, Dad. And Mom too!" the boy replied._

_James closed the connection and sighed. For some reason, he had an uneasy feeling about tonight's work. He thought about calling Dot and... James shook his head clear. The excitement and worry were starting to get to him. He'd call again later before he and Patricia went to get Enzo and take him home._

_* * *_

_"Friends and colleagues," James announced. "I think I've found the answer to our long research and existing problem. As you know, many of our sprites and binomes have been transformed into nulls, thanks to the games that are currently dropping in our city. Earlier, I think I may have found something that will save these people and bring them back to us."_

_"Dr. Matrix, you've found a cure?" asked one scientist._

_"I think I have." James replied. "Follow me to the operation station and I'll show what I've found." The small group headed down the white corridor and stopped in front of a door. After punching in his key code, James opened the door and the group walked in._

_The room was the size of a large office. Three counter tops laid in the middle, with beakers on two of them. The third held five tanks, each filled with hundreds of different colored nulls. "Let me explain what it is I have achieved." James walked over to one of the counters, the blue and green null sat in a glass container on top. "With the use of an electrical rod, I've hooked up this null to our output readings. Beforehand I injected the null with a combination of CO2 and N2. The combination of these two substances, plus the output hook up, and the rod, the energy build up should start a chain reaction, causing the null to transform. Transform into what, I'm not sure yet, but hopefully it'll be a sprite or binome." The group looked to each other, each making comments about the experiment._

_"We should take precautions, Doctor." said one scientist._

_"We have to make sure this doesn't cause an unseen disaster." said another._

_"Gentlemen, gentlemen...and ladies, please." James held up his hands for silence. "I'm well aware of the risks being taken here. I want to try and go ahead with the project later on tonight, if that doesn't inconvenience any of you. I want to make sure I've talked to the Command.Com first, of course. Let's say we meet back her at 20:30, 08:30 for you that have slow clockspeeds." The group laughed at his joke. "So until tonight." The group went out in the hallway, leaving Patricia alone with her husband._

_"James, could this really work?" she asked, uncertainty in her voice._

_"Maybe." James replied, not turning to look at her. "That's why we're testing it tonight. All I know is, when I injected that formula into that little null, there was movement. Like it was changing. It was only a small drop, but think what could happen with a larger dose."_

_"I am thinking of what might happen." Patricia said, wrapping her arms around James' waist. "I'm also thinking of our family. Remember them?"_

_James was silent. He knew working on this project was taking him away from his family, but this could change how life was. "I remember them, Patty." he said, finally. "But we're too close to stop now. If it fails or if it works, I'll be able to spend more time with you and the kids. And maybe we can start running that diner of ours." Patricia gave a small laugh somewhere behind him._

_He turned in her embrace. "Don't worry, Patty. Things will work out. I have a feeling this is going to change everything."_

_* * *_

_Phong was standing in his office, looking out the window on to all of Mainframe. "It's a beautiful second, isn't it?" replied a voice behind him. The small, golden sprite smiled, not bothering to turn around to address the visitor. "There is an old read me file that states, the second that holds the beauty of the morrow stays with no hint of sorrow." Phong turned to see his visitor. "How I am graced with your presence, Dr. Matrix."_

_"It is I who have all the pleasure, old friend." James replied, shaking the sprite's hand._

_"Sit, sit." Phong urged, pointing to a chair in front of the desk. He then took a seat behind it. "How is the diner coming along?"_

_"From what I hear, it's an absolute smash." James said, laughter in his voice. "Dot's doing a spammed good job at running it too. Have you been yet?"_

_"Oh James, you know I hardly ever leave the Principal Office, with my duties and all." Phong stated. "But one second I shall venture out and try the fastest food in all Mainframe." The two laughed. "How is young Dot? And your son? Enzo, was it?"_

_"Well, Dot's hardly a baby anymore, as you know." James answered._

_"It has been a while since I have seen her." Phong said, sitting back in his chair. He remembered registering the girl when she had been initialized and now she was a young business directory._

_"I'll send her in one of these seconds. Along with Enzo." James replied. "I don't think you've seen him since he was much younger."_

_"That is true, that is true." Phong said. He then got down to business. "So my friend, what has brought you to me this second?"_

_"Phong, I think I've found a way to reverse nullification."_

_Phong stared across his desk at his friend. "Is this so, Dr. Matrix?" he asked in surprise. "Are you sure?"_

_"Well, no. I'm not sure." James said, looking down at his feet. He brought his head back up and looked at his friend. "I'm going out on an analog here, Phong." he said, all the concerns he had was now presented to the Command.Com. "I'm not guessing at what could happen, but I don't really know. But I want to be prepared, just in case."_

_"You would like me to back up the system." Phong said._

_"Just in case."_

_"Of course." Phong replied, cheerfully. "I've been meaning to update the system anyway. Do not worry, Dr. Matrix. You will not need to worry about a back up."_

_The two friends stood up and walked out of the office. "Phong, you do realize that this is a very dangerous project," James stated. "And...in any event that something should happen, I..."_

_"Do not be silly, child." Phong protested. "Everything will work out and you will be the one to save this great city."_

_"I know, I know." James said, taking a deep breath. "In any case, Phong, if something does go wrong..."_

_"I will look after them like my own sprites, James." Phong replied, knowing the extent of the man's burdens._

_"Thank you, Phong."_

_* * *_

_James made one last call on a vidwindow. When he saw the face of his daughter, he smiled, hoping that he'd live to see her hopes and dreams come true. "Hi Dad." she answered. "Is something wrong?"_

_"Um...no, sweetie." James lied. Why did he have the sense that something would happen? "I was just calling to see how you were and if Enzo is doing his homework."_

_"Well, after a struggle with the remote control, he finally marched into the spare room to do it." Dot replied, a smile tugging at her lips. Though he could be a pain in the ASCII sometimes, Dot loved her brother. "As for me, I'm beat. We had a pretty good run at the Diner today."_

_"That's good, hon." James said, pride tinting in his voice. For someone her age, Dot had worked hard on that diner. Her parents knew what she was capable of. The Diner was just one example. "Well, I was just checking up on you." he continued. "Your mom and I will be late picking up Enzo."_

_"It's okay, Dad." the sprite sighed. "Enzo can stay here tonight."_

_"You don't mind, do you Dottie?" James asked._

_"Of course not, Daddy." she replied._

_James smiled. "All right then. I love you, Dottie. So does your mother. We'll see you later."_

_The vidwindow closed, leaving Dot thinking about their conversation. Something sounded strange in her father's voice, as though he was worried about something. She shrugged her shoulders and headed for the kitchenette in her cozy apartment._

_It wasn't like she wasn't going to see her parents again._

_* * *_

_The group of scientists converged once more into the operation station. All were at their own stations, while James and Patricia Matrix stood at the counter that held the experimental null. "All right, on my word." James replied, placing his goggles over his eyes. "Now!" James injected the null with his formula, Patricia use the electrical rod to not only measure the energy in the null, but to conduct the reversal of its current state of being. Two more scientist were at the ready by a large console, getting measurements as well. Three more scientist stood by another console, that monitored the health of the null._

_"Readings are looking good, Dr. Matrix." replied one of the scientist at the readings console. James nodded in response and watched as the null began to move. It's squealing had suddenly stopped and it seemed to grow larger._

_"James!" exclaimed Patricia. "I think it's working! It's working!"_

_The experiment seemed to be going well. The possibilities were endless as they were grand. Sprites needn't worry if they would be nullified in a game. If by chance a game was lost, they could be regenerated. After this step, all that was to worry was fixing up the destroyed sector. They could lose a game if need be, but it wouldn't cost a sprite or binome a life. The experiment was a success._

_Then something happened._

_The null began to change shape. What looked like an arm emerged from the form, but then retreated. "Turn up the power!" James commanded. The two scientists standing by the readings were hesitant, but they figured Dr. Matrix knew what he was doing. One of them increased power. The arm began to emerge again, but it seemed deformed._

_"James, I think something's wrong." Patricia called, watching as the arm became..._

_A claw?_

_"Patty, if we increase the power, the energy in the null will rise, making it a sprite or a binome again!" James exclaimed, fascinated by the changes taking place._

_"But..."_

_"I'll give it another injection."_

_"Dr. Matrix, the power levels seem to be increasing! It's away from our control now!"_

_* * *_

_In the Principal Office, Phong was about ready to initiate the back up of the system. He wanted to wait until he heard from James Matrix though. He needed to be sure doing the back up would not cause any harm while the experiment was on going._

_* * *_

_"Just a little longer!" James cried. He could see the null beginning to take shape._

_"Doctor, power levels are suddenly decreasing."_

_"James, if the power goes, that could endanger everyone in the city!" Patricia exclaimed._

_"Maybe not." he replied, also frantic. They were so close. So close... "If we quit now, all our hard work will be for not."_

_* * *_

_Phong decided the back up should begin. He whirled into the main office. "Lieutenant, start the back up process." he said, watching vidscreens appear in front of him. "Backing up system initiated, sir." replied a young one binome, with large glasses. Phong was about to head back into his office for some well deserved cocoa, when the Lieutenant called him back._

_"Phong sir, sensors indicate a flux in power levels." he said._

_"Do you know where they are located?" Phong asked._

_After some typing, the binome replied, "It seems to be coming from the Science Labs. In the Twin City, sir. The power increases and then...sir! Power seems to be increasing at an incredible rate!"_

_"Oh dear..."_

_* * *_

_"Enzo, will you please go to bed?!" Dot had been arguing with her brother for a good 25 microseconds, pleading with him to get some downtime, so she could watch a quicktime movie._

_"But Dot, I wanna watch too!" the boy whined. Sometimes he got so annoyed with her. She always treated him like a little basic baby._

_"Enzo, you've got school tomorrow!" Dot was almost at her wits end. Why oh why did she agree to watch her brother tonight? There were some perfectly good babysitters in Twin City and in Mainframe too._

_"But Dot, it's the Return of the Frankenbinome!"_

_The thought occurred to her that Enzo would just LOVE to spend some time with their parents._

_* * *_

_"Dr. Matrix, power levels are rising!"_

_"James, we have to end this!"_

_"Crashes!" James exclaimed. He attempted to unhook the null from the output charges._

_It grabbed his arm._

_"It's won't let go!"_

_"Dr. Matrix, the power's..."_

_"James!"_

_"Mr. Phong sir, their power levels are at an amazing high level! It's slowing down the back up!"_

_"Enzo, please! Will you just log off for the night?!"_

_"I love you, Patty."_

_"But Dot..."_

_"I don't think we can reverse this, Doctor."_

_"When Mom and Dad come and pick you up, boy will I have some things to say!"_

_"Oh no! Mr. Phong..."_

_"I love you, too James."_

_Without warning, a blinding white light illuminated through the night sky and throughout the Twin City. And in that blinding flash, only an island was left in its wake._   
  
  
  


**Chapter 2 - To Reveal All Things**

"Dad! The baby's crying!" came the call throughout the apartment, along with a loud cry coming behind it. 

Bob quickly finished brushing his teeth and ran from the bathroom. Of course, they were going to be late. Bob checked the time. Five til 0900. He'd have to beat the speed limit in order to get Kit off to school and make in time for that scheduled meeting. He skidded to a stop in front of the refrigerator. "I already got my breakfast, Pop." replied young Christopher "Kit" Lan. "And I made my lunch." The 1.0 hour old child was currently giving a bottle to his younger sister, Phoenix. Her twin, Jet, sat happily playing with his food. 

"Your mom would have to leave _me_ with three kids." Bob muttered under his breath. 

Ever since Phong vidwindowed earlier that morning, things had been chaotic. First, he overslept. Then after Kit had pour ice cold water underneath him, he'd fallen out of bed and hit his head on the night stand. Assuring his son that he'd live, Bob quickly made it to the shower, just to find they had no soap. Then he had to rummage through the cabinets to find some. He and Dot had made a sacrifice. She had control over everything else, if he just got to control the bathroom and the garage. Right now, he was regretting that deal. He wished he had said the garage and maybe the kitchen. Or even the living room. Still, he found the soap and was about to jump in the shower, when he heard one or both of his new born twins crying. Stopping the shower, he went to investigate. He then changed Jet's diaper. Then he went back to the shower. He'd just left and was getting ready when he heard Kit calling from the kitchen. 

"Dad, maybe I should just head over to school." Kit said, seeing his father was in the mist of a system crash. 

"Um...no." Bob replied. He had everything under control. "I have everything under control. I'll give you a lift. Grab your stuff and take a twin." The two did just that and headed to the garage. There was Bob's classic 262 convertible. And it was actually running for a change. 

"Good thing Aunt Andi fixed the car, huh, Dad?" 

"She _helped_ fix the car." Bob corrected. 

It wasn't that he didn't have faith in AndrAIa. He just hated other people fixing his car. He'd done a lot of things together with that car. Worked on it for a good 20 hours. It was his baby. Piling the twins in car seats, he and Kit headed out for Little Bits Elementary. Bob was making good time. It was only a little after nine. He dropped Kit off at school and rushed over to the P.O. Taking a twin in each arm, he miraculously punched his key code in order to open the door. 

"Authorization. Guardian 452. Confirmed. Welcome." 

Spotting Hack and Slash, he handed each bot a baby and rushed in to find... 

Everyone sitting around having Java and cocoa. 

"Hi, Bob." replied a tan sprite. 

She had long aquamarine hair and was drinking from a mug that read, "AndrAIa". She was sitting and talking to two other sprites. One was purple with bright red hair. The other was blond and tan. 

"Where'd you hide my sweet little puddin's?" ask the red haired woman in a thick Texas accent. 

"I gave them to Hack and Slash." Bob said, pulling a chair and sitting down next to AndrAIa. "Say, uh...we were supposed to be having a meeting, right?" 

"Phong said the meeting was pushed back, mate." said the other sprite, in an Australian accent. 

"He's talking to Dot and her brothers, sugah." 

"So that's where she went." Bob muttered, glancing at the office door. 

"What happened, Bob?" AndrAIa giggled. "Dot leave you with three kids this morning?" 

Bob gave her a look. "It wasn't fun, I can tell you that." he retorted. Something occurred to him. "Mouse," he said, addressing the red head. "When did you and Ray get back?" 

"Just this morning, mate." Ray Tracer replied. "We were flying in when Phong sent the message about the meeting." 

"I wonder why the meeting was pushed back?" AndrAIa asked. 

"I wonder what Phong's in there talking to the Matrixes about." Mouse whispered, a mischievous gleam in her eye. The four seemed intrigued by the lack of promptness their leaders usually gave. 

They would find out why. 

It seemed as soon as Mouse had asked her question, the door to Dot's office opened. Phong stood in the doorway saying, "Perhaps we should postpone the meeting, Dot." They heard a reply, apparently from Dot herself and Phong wheeled out of the office and over to the table. Then the Matrix siblings made an appearance. First Dot, then Matrix and Enzo following behind her. Bob left the chair he was in to sit in his usual seat and noticed the sudden change in demeanor in the Matrix family. Dot walked to the head of the table, the customary seat for the Command.Com, with Bob seated on her right. 

Everyone could tell right away things were not right in the Super Computer. 

Dot, though trying to appear to be in a professional manner, looked as though she had been crying. Her think rimmed glasses did hide some of the puffiness, but her usually bright violet eyes were now red and some tears could still be seen. 

For those that knew Matrix, his demeanor seemed to be his usual. Arms folded across his chest, silent, and brooding. But to look in to the young sprite's eyes, it would be noted they were clouded, distant. He stared at some spot on the table in front of him and half heartedly nodded when AndrAIa asked, "Are you all right?" 

Enzo just sat, head in his hands, oblivious to anything or anyone around him. 

Bob and AndrAIa exchanged worried glances. They had never seen the Matrixes so offlined before. 

"Sorry to keep you all waiting." Dot said, her voice still a little shaky. "First, I'd like to make a motion to move this meeting to tomorrow perhaps. Same time, 0900. If that's all right with you. I know Mouse and Ray just got back and it wouldn't be fair to keep them in meetings all second." 

"Tomorrow's just fine, lovely lady." Ray said, quickly noting this didn't seem like the perfect time for a meeting. 

"The main importance though," Dot continued, as if she didn't hear Ray's agreement to her motion. "Was to welcome our new guardian to Mainframe." Dot smiled as she looked at her younger brother. 

Enzo looked up to realize he was being talked about. He gave a small smile as he looked at everyone. 

"You all know the rules." Dot said. "No getting in his way and always...always listen to what he has to say." 

"It's nice to have you officially on the team, Enzo darlin'." Mouse replied, smiling. 

"Thanks." Enzo said weakly, quickly turning his attention back to his hands. He was trembling slightly, on the verge of a river of tears. 

"Well, unless there's anything else..." Dot looked around the room to make sure there wouldn't be anything else. "Meeting's adjourned until tomorrow." She then turned to Phong and whispered, "I'll be in my office. I'd rather not be disturbed." With that, she hurried into her office. 

Matrix too made a quick exit, bolting from his chair and hurrying out the door. That left Enzo still sitting in his seat, doing whatever he could to hold back an inevitable floodgate of emotions. AndrAIa walked over and placed her hand on the boy's shoulder. "Enzo, are you okay?" she whispered. The young guardian merely nodded his head. "Come by the house later, okay?" Again, he answered her question with a nod. AndrAIa patted his back and left with a confused Mouse and Ray. Bob too was rather at a loss of words and a conflict of decision. On one hand, he could see Enzo was about ready to collapse into a hysterical mess. On the other hand, his wife was sitting in her office probably doing the same thing. Just when Bob made the decision to go talk to Dot, he felt a hand on his arm. 

"They need to be alone with their thoughts, my son." Phong replied. "Today has been a traumatic venture into their past." 

Bob looked at Enzo and then towards Dot's door. He looked at Phong and nodded. "If something happens..." 

"You will be the first to know." 

* * * 

Oddly, the only Matrix to make an appearance through out the second was Dot. Though it was her duty as Command.Com and she didn't talk to anyone unless it was in the line of duty, at least her friends and family saw her. No one had seen Enzo or Matrix all second. And that made AndrAIa slightly worried. She knew both brothers usually made a habit out of wondering off to be alone with their thoughts, but she never knew them to be gone for so long. The only sign she knew that Enzo was okay was the fact that the games were being won. But as soon as a team got out there to make sure everyone was all right, Enzo had vanished by then. 

Dot could try and fool the staff, but not the Mouse. Mouse sat next to AndrAIa at one the consoles, trying to look as though they were busy working on the shields, when they were really talking about what could possibly be bugging the Matrix line. 

"The answer to all this is Phong." Mouse whispered, lightly tapping keys. 

"Agreed." AndrAIa replied, not bothering to look over. "What ever he talked to them about earlier really offlined them. I've only seen Dot like this once before." 

"After Bob was gone, I know." Mouse said. "She was much worse when you and Enzo were game hoppin'." 

"I've never seen the boys like this either." AndrAIa continued. She looked over at the hacker. "Maybe it's nothing. Maybe we're just jumping to conclusions." Mouse looked at her. 

"Do you believe that?" 

AndrAIa shook her head. "No." 

"I say we corner good ole Phong and get some answers." the hacker replied, giving one last troubled glance at Dot. 

* * * 

Enzo was zipping through the city, just completing and winning another game. It seemed it was game heaven in the system of Mainframe. He'd been in five games already that second and made a quick escape every time. 

He just couldn't face anyone right now. 

Truth be told, the images of the Twin City had offlined him, to the point of deletion. He had put that part of his past way behind him and to see it, relive it again that very morning, had frightened and disturbed him. And he knew he wasn't the only one. Dot was probably in the Principal Office working her bitmap off, that's what she did in the face of disillusionment, try to push past the pain and get things done and her processor off of whatever was bothering her. He knew Matrix was probably at Floating Point or Old Man Pearson's sitting there thinking, probably watching Frisket in the process. Thank goodness for Hack, Slash, and even Mike the TV. They were the perfect babysitters for the twins and little Chip Matrix, though Mike would never go near the baby, insisting it tried to attack him on several occasions. 

Enzo zipped along through sector 31, past Al's Wait and Eat. He thought about stopping and getting an energy shake or even something much stronger, as Al's was the only bar in Mainframe. He knew he was still under aged, but he, Matrix, and Dot had come here on his birthday and they had bought him I/O shots. Al's waiter had been cool enough to actually let him drink, saying it would be their little secret. User, he needed something like an I/O shot or even a mug of ROM. But he was on duty, technically, and Guardian rules prohibit drinking alcohol on duty. He quickly put the thought out of his head and zipped away. 

He wasn't sure what he had been thinking about when he headed over there, but soon Enzo found himself hovering over the remains of the Gilded Gate Bridge, the structure that had once connected Mainframe to the Twin City. He stared out at Lost Angles, what was left of the city and now the residence of ex-virus-turned-sprite Hexadecimal. Enzo prayed to the User that Hex wasn't looking through her mirror at him. She was the last person he wanted to see right now. All the memories he surpressed so long ago suddenly seemed to be coming back to him. He remembered the night of the disaster. How could he forget it... 

_He was sitting in a corner in the Principal Office, just staring out into space. He and Dot had been summoned there by Phong, who was going to tell them the bad news, but they already knew._

_They had seen the whole thing._

_He remembered they had been arguing over why he had to go to bed. He remembered his feelings at the time. How he couldn't stand Dot, how she always treated him like a little baby, never wanted him to do anything fun. He vaguely remembered telling her what would happen once their parents came and picked him up. Oh, would she be in trouble! He would insist he had been good all second and Dot was being the Mean Magnet of Mainframe. He had actually thought about running away that night. That would teach her. Oh, he'd end up finding his parents at the lab and then everything would fine._

_But it wouldn't be fine. Nothing would ever be fine again. If he had left..._

_He'd be deleted too. Just like his parents._

_They had heard the explosion and rushed up to the Diner to see what had happened. They had seen the white light over the Twin City and before they knew it, it was gone. So here they were, the children of the most prominent scientists in Mainframe, probably in the whole Net, sitting inside the Principal Office. Dot was staying busy, doing what she usually did in a crisis. Forgot about it and went to work. Enzo couldn't understand how she could just forge ahead like that. Didn't she even care that their parents were deleted? That they were now alone? That..._

_That they were now orphans?_

_But even Enzo had to look deeper. She was probably heartbroken inside. He had only seen her like this once before, when this sprite she had dated cheated on her. It was devastating for her. She really loved him and he treated her like a virus treated an infected servant. Enzo thought the guy was a null. Feeding off of Dot's energy and time and then leaving her to deteriorate and delete. That had been the end of Dot's relationship seconds. End file, offlined, quit without saving...but this was much worse._

_They were orphans._

_Binomes rushed throughout the main control room, trying to find out if anything was left of the Twin City, counting the causalities. Everyone was talking excitedly, but when they saw him they just shook their heads and tsked, saying "What a shame." or "He's just a little sprite." or "I wonder what will happen to them?" Enzo knew they'd be well off financially. Their mother had dabbled in business ventures and before they knew it, half of Mainframe's businesses were linked to their names. That's what Dot had inherited from their mother, besides her looks and beauty. She was the financial brains now._

_Phong looked up from a vidwindow he'd been eyeing. He never thought this would happen. This was a dark second in Mainframe's history all right. He looked at the young woman who stood next to him, also looking over vidwindows. He was worried about her. She hadn't said anything about the incident, just diving into work and keeping the disaster in the back of her processor. He had only seen this behavior in her father. As much as it delighted him that she was such a hard worker, it worried him to see her just concentrating on this and that. He turned to look at the young sprite that sat in a corner, just staring at the wall ahead. Enzo, like his sister, seemed to bottle his emotions as well. He could see the boy had been crying, but wasn't sure if the boy was aware that he had been. Phong shook his head sadly._

_What would become of these two sprites? He hadn't told them, but he had gotten a causality list of those lost in the explosion. They would be the only sprites left in Mainframe, with the exception of him, of course. He knew Dot might be able to handle this news, but what of young Enzo? He was just a small sprite and small sprites needed friends his own age to play and converse with. Again, Phong shook his head sadly._

_He had a promise to keep._

Enzo wasn't sure how long he had been standing there, looking out at the island known as Lost Angles, but he finally snapped out of his stupor when he realized it was nearly dark. He also realized he was hungry. He had missed lunch and now dinner. He thought about going over to Dot's Diner, then decided against it. He figured everyone else would there. He remembered he promised to go over to AndrAIa and Matrix's, but he'd do that later. He got back on his zipboard and changed out of his Guardian uniform into a pair of baggy black jeans and a white t-shirt. He headed over to sector 31. 

He needed a drink. 

* * * 

Matrix sat on the ground of Old Man Pearson's Data Dump. He had been there most of the second, just thinking. He thought about going over to Floating Point Park, but he figured Enzo was probably there, doing the same thing he was. He didn't want to talk to anyone right now and he knew Enzo felt the same, as did Dot. So many emotions were roaming in his head, all screaming to be noticed. Like Enzo, Matrix had put the Twin City in the back of his processor, hoping never to relive that second again. The whole second he had spent in Pearson's dump made him feel like a little sprite all over again, but not in the happy way he would've liked. 

Watching that vidscreen today made all the anger and sadness come flooding back to him. Enzo had been through the same things, but because he was younger, the thoughts still lingered. For Matrix, the Twin City disaster felt like it had happened days ago. He had buried those feelings and emotions deep inside him, never expecting them to present themselves ever again. It was like that faithful game..._why was he thinking about that now?_ So many questions haunted him. 

Why did his father do it? He must've know the consequences. He had to have known! 

Why couldn't some of the sprites live in Mainframe? Then he and Dot wouldn't have been the only ones left. 

What kind of father would put the lives of sprites in danger? Just for an experiment! 

All the anger he felt as a young sprite came flooding back. He stood up and started kicking the random parts and files that littered the ground. He turned to the old refrigeration unit he had been sitting against and started to pound on it in a fit of fury. He treated the thing like a punching bag, while the unit treated his hands like pudding. Matrix slid down the broken machine, wrapping his arms around his knees and burying his head within them. 

It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair. 

"I thought I might find you here" 

Matrix wiped his face with his hand and turned his head away as footsteps approached. AndrAIa sat down next to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Are you all right?" she asked, obviously knowing the answer to be no. 

"Yeah." he said, wiping away any remaining tears from his face and looking straight ahead. "I'm fine. What're you doing here?" 

"Well, I had been looking for Enzo," the game sprite replied. "But I figured I'd run into you sooner or later." She could see he had been crying and probably beating something to a pulp, by the look of the energy on his knuckles. "I hope you plan on coming home and getting some ice for those." she said, making a gesture towards his hands. 

"How're the kids?" he asked, trying to move the conversation to something more pleasant. 

"Chip's asleep and I bribed Kit to come over and watch Sabrina." AndrAIa said, brushing a stray tear from his eye. "They're worried about you guys." 

Matrix sighed. This was something he didn't want to talk to his kids about. But he would have to discuss it with Enzo and Dot sooner or later. Knowing Dot, she was probably still at the P.O. working on something she deemed very important and that couldn't wait until morning. Speaking of morning, Matrix absently rubbed his stomach. He had missed breakfast because of what Phong wanted and being in the frame of processor that he had, he'd missed lunch and dinner as well. "I'll be home soon, Andri." he whispered. 

"Whatever it is, you know you can talk to me, Enzo." his wife replied, rubbing her hand against his cheek. "Until then, I won't force the issue. I'll give you some time to yourself." She gave him a kiss on the cheek, stood, and left on her zipboard. 

* * * 

The figure stood on the edge of a ruined system. He was dressed in a long black trench coat, with blue jeans, a red t-shirt, and black boots. He was yellow, but had dark green eyes that were covered by a pair of shades. His long black hair was tied in a ponytail that swung behind him. He surveyed what used to be his system. He hung his head sadly. He'd been powerless to do anything to stop it, so it happened anyway. He saw a red null come towards him, smelling the energy he harnessed. He shook his boot at it and it squealed and crawled away. 

If only there had been a way he could've stopped... 

His organizer went off and he quickly grabbed it and received the message that bleeped frantically at him. A vidwindow opened in front of him and showed the semi-retired Prime Guardian Turbo on the other side. "Yes, sir, Turbo sir!" The young man snapped to attention. 

"At ease, Cadet." Turbo laughed. He was used to those that served under him still acting as though he was still Prime Guardian. Technically, he was, at least until the end of the minute. "Report, Cadet." 

The cadet hung his head in embarrassment and shame. "I couldn't save it, sir." he sighed. "I tried, but the system was further gone than we thought. The Command.Com had been taken and well...well, they were everywhere, but some of the system sprites did get rid of the nest, but unfortunately it's too late to really save the system, but they're trying." 

Turbo shook his head at the news. He hated hearing about systems that were decaying. It reminded him of the destruction Daemon had caused. It always made him feel responsible and it made him want to right the wrongs he had caused while under the super virus' control. But it wasn't over. 

Daemon had left them something to remind systems of her reign. 

Turbo sighed and then turned his attention back to the sprite before him. "That's fifteen systems so far, Cadet." he replied, shaking his head. He tried to think of something that could stop the destruction and perhaps help the systems already destroyed. Suddenly, he thought of something. Somewhere actually and someone. "Cadet," he said excitedly. "I know of someone who might possibly help." The young sprite looked up at his boss in surprise. "I can't believe I didn't think of them before." Turbo continued, looking around for something. "I'll call back when I find those co-ordinates. I'll have to send them a message as well that you'll be coming there. Sit tight, Cadet. I have a good feeling that everything will be fine." 

The screen closed from Turbo's end and the cadet put his organizer back inside his jacket. He thought about what Turbo said. Somewhere there was someone, some place that could fix this awful mess. But where? And who were these people Turbo hadn't thought of? So many questions lurked in the mind of the young sprite. Turbo had told him to wait, so he would. Until then, he turned back to the wrecked system. He could check again and make sure things were all right, but he doubted it would do any good. He went back to his hotel room. 

* * * 

Bob was still awake when she walked through the apartment door. She looked tired and upset, her eyes still red, but no longer puffy. When Dot turned from the door, she was slightly shocked to see that Bob had waited up for her. But she quickly sighed, walked over, and sat down next to him on the couch. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. 

"You didn't have to wait up for me, you know." she said, closing her eyes. It had been such a long second. 

"I had to make sure you were okay." he whispered. He gave her shoulder a squeeze and moved her bangs from her eyes. "Talk to me, Dottie." he said. "Tell me what's going on." 

Dot opened her eyes and stared up at the ceiling. No one but her father had ever called her 'Dottie'. In fact, after the Twin City incident, she refused to even be refered as that. She remembered the second after it had happened and one of her father's friends, a zero binome, had come to give his condolences. He had said something along the lines of, "I truly am sorry, Dottie," and she had screamed and yelled at him for calling her that. If it had been a private encounter, she wouldn't have thought more about it. But it had happened in the Principal Office. In front of the staff and worse, in front of Phong. She quickly apologized and Phong had led her to the conservatory so she could be alone. Ever since, no one had even dared to call her that. 

That is until Bob came. 

And even then, he never called her that until they had been dating. They had been making out, of all the times for her to blow her motherboard. He had said it in response to their necking, but she instantly turned cold hearing it. 

_"What did you call me?" she asked. His face took on a look of fear and confusion rolled into one._

_"Dot, I...I..."_

_"Don't call me that, Bob." she warned. "Don't ever call me that. Not ever."_

He had left, wondering what he had done to get such a reaction from her. It wasn't until the verge of their impending nuptials, that she had told him why she reacted the way she did. She smiled at the memory, of Bob taking on the blame, but it was she who had been at fault. He understood and said it wouldn't happen again. She liked hearing the nickname though, especially from Bob. Not even her brother, ahem _brothers_, called her 'Dottie'. Just like she would never call them by the nickname their mother had given them. But today she had remembered how much she hated the pet name. 

"Phong showed us a video of the Twin City." she replied quietly, never taking her eyes away from the ceiling. 

Bob held back a gasp. _So that's what had offlined the siblings._ He knew what a touchy subject it was for them, especially Dot, who being older, remembered her parents better than Enzo and Matrix did. It took hours for her to open up to him about that night and still he knew she hadn't told him everything. He wasn't sure if he should continue the conversation or not. But he was worried. He knew Dot better than anyone and knew when she was under emotional stress, she pushed forward like nothing was going on. 

"Are you okay?" he asked, after a moment of silence. 

"Why'd he do it, Bob?"she asked, seemingly on another train of thought. "I mean, didn't he realize what could happen if the experiment failed? Surely he had to have known." She sighed and looked away. "I don't think Enzo's ever forgiven him." 

"Have you?" 

Dot shook her head, a few tears rolling down her face. "I don't know, Bob." she said, wiping away tears that were soon replaced with more. "I don't know."   
  
  
  


**Chapter 3 - Daughter Matrix, I Presume**

The figure stepped from the portal into a dark and dingy area of the system. He walked around the small establishment he landed next to and read the name. Al's Wait and Eat. He turned back around and looked out at the city. 

So this was Mainframe. 

It seemed cozy enough. He could see why this place was pretty popular out on the Net. He had heard stories about the sprites that lived here, that they were tough and always stuck it out in a dangerous situation. 

He only wished they could help with a new problem. 

The young sprite hadn't been standing in front of Al's place for more than five microseconds, when he saw two bots approach him from the sky. One was red, the other was blue, and they were heading straight for him. He wasn't sure if they were friend or foe, so he kept his weapon ready for anything. The two bots landed in front of him and held their arms at the ready. "Hey," the sprite replied, holding his hands in front of him. "I come in peace. Turbo sent me." 

"Oh, then you're him!" 

"He might be him." 

"I think so too." 

"Then we should take him to see Dot." 

"I agree. He should see Dot." 

"That's what I said." 

"And I was emphasizing for effect." 

"But you don't need to do that. Why must you always try to out do me?" 

"What are you talking about? Out do you? I thought we were friends. I would never do that! Now let's take him to Dot and I will tell her..." 

"See what I mean? Why do you do that?" 

"Do what?" 

The man wasn't sure what was going on, but he was certainly amused, if not entertained. He wondered who this Dot person was. By the way the two spoke, he figured this Dot was probably the right hand sprite to the Command.Com and nothing went to him unless it went through her. He met sprites like that. He didn't care for them, always thinking they were in charge, when they weren't. His thoughts drifted back to the red and blue bots, still arguing over who was better at what. "Hey guys," he said. "Weren't you going to take me to see Dot?" 

"Oh yeah!" 

"We almost forgot!" 

"No, you forgot." 

"I did not forget! I don't forget things!" 

"Yes, you do." 

"I do not! Now, what were we talking about?" 

"Taking me to see this Dot person." the young sprite said. 

"Oh yeah!" both bots exclaimed. 

The young sprite brought out his zipboard and followed the two. "Say, you guys never told me your names." 

"I am Hack and he is Slash." 

"I am Slash and he is Hack." 

"I just told him that! Why do you repeat everything I say?" 

"I do not repeat everything you say! Why are you in such a bad mood today?" 

"Am I? I hadn't noticed." 

"Oh my, yes. You seem to have a lot of pent up anger within you. You should release it, like with a hobby of some sort. Like jetball. Or maybe Chess." 

"I wasn't aware that I had been unpleasant." 

"Not always. Just sometimes." 

"I apologize then." 

"It's okay. I understand." 

"It must be stress." 

The young sprite was still unsure who these bots were, but he liked them. In a weird way, they were entertaining with their constant bickering and arguing. He just grinned at them and shook his head. 

"And who are you, little friend?" 

"Yes. We told you who we were. Now who are you?" 

The sprite hesitated for a moment, still unsure if these guys could be trustworthy. But then again Turbo had said Mainframe had the best and friendliest people. Besides, these guys couldn't hurt anybody! "I'm Guardian 927. Cadet Kalyle Daniels." replied the sprite. "But you can call me Kalyle or KD. A lot of people do that." The three continued their journey towards the Principal Office. "So who exactly is this Dot you guys are taking me to see?" 

"Oh she's the best!" 

"Definitely! She's our boss." 

"And the best boss we've ever had!" 

"Yep. Better than our last boss." 

"Let's not talk about that. You know I don't like talking about him." 

"Yes, I know and I'm sorry. But it's true. Dot's so much nicer than...you know who." 

Kalyle listened to the conversation. Their last boss must have been the Command.Com. He figured their incessant chatter got them bumped down to be the Lieutenant's body guards. 

"But Dot's the best." replied the red bot. Was that Hack? Or Slash? Kalyle didn't know. 

"Yes and so is Bob." 

"Oh yes. Bob is great." 

"And Dot and Bob are great together." 

"Yep. And they have the cutest kids." 

"Absolutely. Nicki and Jet. You'll have to meet them." 

"They're so precious." 

"And Kit." 

"Yes. Kit looks just like Bob." 

"You think so? I think he looks a little like Dot myself." 

"He does look like her. I think he looks like them both." 

"But he has Bob's..." 

"Shh! We're not supposed to say anything about that! We promised Dot we would not talk about that!" 

_Interesting,_ KD thought. What was it that this Kit had of Bob's? _Wait. Did they say Bob? As in Guardian Bob, 452?_ He wondered if this Kit might have Bob's keytool. Turbo said Bob didn't have it anymore. Well not exactly, but the Prime Guardian wouldn't elaborate. He also didn't say anything about Bob being in this system. He just said he had returned to his own system, after turning down a position to take over as Prime Guardian. How could anyone turn down something like that? What would possess someone to give up the opportunity to serve as head of the Guardian Collective? Perhaps the fear of Daemon still raged on. After all, she did nearly destroy the Collective. It took hours to bring the name Guardian back to it's original high standing and now she was plaguing systems once again. Kalyle wondered when the problem would come to Mainframe. 

The trio soon reached the door to the Principal Office and, after a small argument between Hack and Slash as to who would use whose code to get in, the two bots led Kalyle down a hallway until they stopped in front of an open door. 

"This is the place, little friend." 

"Yep. Come with us and you'll meet Dot." 

Hack and Slash entered the room, with Kalyle behind them. The room was rather large, with consoles on two of the walls. A large table was set in the middle, in which three sprites were at sitting and talking. To Kalyle's left was an office door, where Hack and Slash both went to. The two argued at who would knock on the door, when it opened and an attractive green skinned sprite walked out. She shook her head at the two and smiled. 

"Did you guys want me for something?" 

The two stopped their quarreling and looked at her. 

"Oh yes, Dot. Hack and I..." 

"I and Slash have brought you..." 

"A friend!" They both chimed, pointing at the new arrival. 

The woman called Dot looked at Kalyle with suspicion. "So you're the one who tripped the scanners." she scowled at him. 

"Sorry about that." the young sprite said, sheepishly. "But Turbo said I could come and ask for your help." 

"Turbo told you to come here?" 

Kalyle turned to look at the speaker. He was blue, with dark eyes, and was wearing a silver suit of armor. He had a few scars around the corners of his face. The one thing that caught the cadet's attention was the icon placed firmly in the center of the sprite's chest. "Turbo sent me here to ask for your help." Kalyle said, wondering if this Guardian was the Guardian. He then turned to talk to Dot. "I was hoping to speak to your Command.Com." 

"You're looking at her." Dot said. 

Kalyle tried to hide his surprise, but ultimately failed. He didn't think the Command.Com was female. He sensed he might have made a bad impression and tried to right it. "Oh." he said, his surprise coming through in his voice. "I didn't...I mean, I don't think I've met a prettier leader for a system before." Dot raised an eyebrow at the sprite. She wasn't basic. 

"I'm sure you've been to many systems, sir." Dot replied, folding her arms. "And I'm sure you've met a lot of system commanders. But to this one, flattery gets you nothing." 

Kalyle was quickly knocked off his little pedestal. He saw the look Dot was giving him and the snickering that was coming from the other sprites in the room. The blue Guardian walked over and put his arm around the Command.Com's shoulder. 

"First rule, Cadet, never underestimate the intelligence of the Command.Com." Bob chuckled. 

Kalyle blushed slightly, not only at his assumption that the commander would be a male, but the fact that he was called on it, not once but twice. Something else struck him. "How did you know I was a cadet?" he asked. Bob pointed to the sprite's icon. "That is a Guardian icon." he replied, smiling. "You couldn't miss that." Bob then extended his hand to the young sprite. "I'm Guardian 452. But you can call me Bob." Kalyle took the Guardian's hand and shook it. He then held his out to Dot. "Sorry about the implications." he said. "I'm still a little wet behind the gears, you know. I didn't mean anything by it. And I certainly didn't mean to offend you. Truce?" Dot looked at the hand and took it, grinning slightly. 

"Truce." she said. 

"I'm Guardian 927. Cadet Kalyle Daniels." 

"Dot Matrix, Command.Com of system Mainframe. Pleased to meet you." 

"The pleasure is all mine." 

"What seems to the trouble plaguin' ya, sugah?" asked Mouse. 

"Oh, Cadet, meet Mouse and Ray Tracer." Bob said. 

Kalyle knew exactly who they were. Mouse was a known and wanted hacker and he knew he had seen that guy Ray on a wanted poster as well. He stood there, his mouth open in shock. He quickly pulled Bob closer, his eyes never leaving the two wanted criminals. "Do you know who they are?" he whispered, urgently. 

"Yeah. I just introduced you." 

"That's Mouse. She's a wanted hacker. She hacked into the Super Computer." 

"I know." 

"And that guy she's with. That's a search engine, wanted in two different systems." 

"I know that too." 

"You...you do?" Bob nodded. "Oh. Well, I...I just...I just wanted..." 

"You don't have to worry about them. They're on our side. Promise." 

Kalyle let go of Bob, his eyes still on the hacker and the surfr. This was a weird system. A woman commander, a wanted hacker and a wanted search engine working on the side of good, and two squabbling, basic bots. He had never seen anything like this. Mouse's earlier question suddenly popped into his head. "I need your help." he said. "There's something terrible happening out in the Net. That's why Turbo sent me. He's hoping you can help." 

"We'll help anyway we can, Cadet." Bob said, his humorous manor replaced by a serious one. 

"Exactly what is it that you need help with, Mr. Daniels?" Dot asked. 

"Well," KD started, throwing a look at Mouse and Tracer. "I'll need to talk to the Command.Com and the Guardian of the system. But seeing as you're here already..." 

"Oh, I'm not the Guardian of the system." Bob said, laughing. 

"Huh?" 

"Well, I am, but not really. What I mean to say is..." 

"What Bob is saying, is that our entire team isn't here." Dot said, poking Bob in the ribs. "We'll need our system engineer here and our other two Guardians..." 

"Other two Guardians?" Kalyle asked in surprise. 

"And we'll need our little Phong here, too." Mouse replied, with a grin. "Can't do nuttin' without him." 

At the mere mention of his name, Phong appeared from behind Kalyle to be seen by the rest of the group. "I thought I heard my name, children." Phong replied, a cup of cocoa in his hand. "Is something wrong?" Kalyle back spaced a little from the small sprite. Who was this? So many surprises in one second was a little much. "Nothing's wrong, mate." Ray replied. "But this bloke seems to have a problem." Ray pointed to Kalyle. Phong whirled around and saw the new arrival. 

"Oh, hello there." he said, cheerfully. "I must have missed you. I am Phong, the system's administrator. And you are?" 

"Um...Guardian 927. Daniels. Cadet Kalyle Daniels, Mr. Phong, sir." the young sprite said, holding out his hand. 

"Ah yes!" Phong replied. "You must be the guardian Turbo sent to us!I suggest we assemble our team. I think we have many things to disgust." The last comment was made in the direction of Dot, who sighed and nodded. 

"I'll get AndrAIa and tell her to bring the boys." Dot replied. "I guess I should start first." 

* * * 

Dot sat on her desk in her office, rehersing in her mind what she would say. Phong had come to her last night about a conversation he had with AndrAIa and Mouse. Everyone was worried about her, about Enzo and Matrix and were curious as to what was going on. Phong said it was her decision to make if she wanted to tell anyone. The events of the second had upset them, he knew. He had gripped with the decision as to whether he should even show them the video. But he knew they had to know. It was their right as James' children. 

And Dot had thought about the same thing. As the oldest, it would be her decision, but she felt bad not letting Enzo and Matrix know. She knew they weren't going to tell AndrAIa what was wrong. She had trouble trying to tell Bob what was wrong. They all had a right to know what had been bothering them, especially Mouse and Ray, who didn't know the whole story. But the thing about this was she wouldn't be telling her family and friends what was going on. She'd be telling them and a stranger. Bob had said the young man was a Guardian Cadet. Turbo had sent him there for help. But for what? Dot wasn't comfortable with it. She and her brothers were already offlined, they didn't need another crisis. Dot shook her head. If it wasn't one thing, it was another. 

With one last sigh, Dot stood up, opened the door, and walked in the command center. 

* * * 

Kalyle was sitting at the oval table in the middle of the room, thinking. He made glances around the room a couple of times and was struck by the fact that most of the staff were binomes. Not that there was anything wrong with that. He figured there were more sprites in the system. His processor was going over the sprites he had met and were going to meet. He couldn't believe this system had three Guardians protecting it. Why would a system need_ three _Guardians? It was like a waste. There were systems that could've used Guardians and here there were three. 

That made him think about Mouse and that Tracer guy. Two wanted criminals, right here in Mainframe and everyone acted like it was no big file! Mouse had hacked into the Super Computer for starters, not to mention her other past crimes. And that Tracer dude was wanted in two different systems. He wasn't sure what for, but he had seen the wanted posters hanging in the Super Computer. And it wasn't like they were hiding out. Maybe they were. Turbo hadn't given him the co-ordinates to Mainframe. He had opened the portal for him, saying to keep this thing under his top. Kalyle had only heard of the place from Turbo and other Guardians who had been at the Super Computer with Bob. He had never seen it on a map. It was totally offline from the Net. Probably because of Mouse and Ray no doubt. 

What was this thing Dot had to talk to everyone about? It must be something pretty grim. Now he felt bad. He certainly didn't want to burden them with all of his troubles, especially if they had their own._ Matrix, Matrix, where had he heard that name before? _And what was with Bob and Dot? He remembered that those bots, Hack and Slash, said they had children together. Were they married? He couldn't remember if he saw a ring or not. And who was this Kit and what did he have of Bob's? He must have Bob's keytool, but why? How did he get it? Friend or foe? Before he knew it, Kalyle was eager to get this meeting started. He had questions he needed answers to. 

He turned his gaze to the door and saw three more sprites enter. One was a beautiful tan sprite, with blue-ish grey eyes, and a pretty smile. Her arm was around one of the male sprites that accompanied her. Kalyle thought he recognized the young sprite. He was dressed in a Guardian uniform and had a keytool on his left wrist. He was green, like Dot, and after dismissing the boy as a possible child of Bob and Dot, he concluded that was her brother or something. The other sprite was green as well, maybe another brother to Dot. Kalyle couldn't help stare at the large man. He only had one eye, his right eye was a gold cybernetic eye, with an 'M' engraved on it. The guy was muscular, he could probably bench press Kalyle, and he definitely didn't look happy. Come to think of it, the little green guy didn't look too excited either. 

The System Administrator, Phong as he wanted to be called, rolled into the room and headed for the table where Kalyle sat. Kalyle stood, thinking he might be in someone's seat, and waited for everyone to sit. Surprisingly to him, Mouse and Ray also had seats at the table. Phong pushed a chair towards him and the lad sat down, in between Phong and Ray. "Well, I did say we'd be having a meeting and here we are." Dot replied, trying to sound cheerful about gathering everyone around. "Anyway, it's kinda come to my attention that you guys are worried about us and it's only fair that I tell you what's going on." 

"Dot..." 

"It's only fair, Enzo." Dot replied. She then looked at Kalyle. "I apologize that you have to hear this, Mr. Daniels." she said. "This was really intended to be a private meeting." 

"Please," Kalyle said, trying to shift attention from him being the new guy in a bad situation. "The intrusion is mine." 

"Dot," AndrAIa said, nodding her head towards Kalyle. "Maybe this should wait..." 

"No, Andri," Dot sighed. "I'd rather get this out for everyone. Besides, it might be useful to Mr. Daniels' problem." 

AndrAIa, Matrix, and Enzo looked at Kalyle. It was the first time they really noticed him since they had walked in. The three exchanges glances with each other before turning their attention back to Dot. 

"As I was saying," Dot continued. "It's only fair you all know what's going on." 

"Everything's all right, isn't it Honey?" Mouse asked, concerned. 

"Yes and no." Dot said. "I'll explain." 

She turned to Phong, who handed her a disk. She placed the disk in a compartment in her area of the table and a large vidwindow appeared. On screen, was the picture of a beautiful city. Kalyle could've sworn it was Mainframe, along with the others in the room, except for the Matrixes and Phong. 

"This..." Dot began, keeping her emotions in check. There was time and place for crying and that was no time, no where. "This is...or rather was, the Twin City." She studied the picture for a while longer, before adding, "Nice place, huh?" 

Matrix and Enzo didn't answer her. They weren't even looking at the screen. 

Dot hit the forward button on the window and the picture switched from the system of the Twin City to a handsome green skinned sprite. If he had a thin beard instead of the goatee, he could easily pass for Matrix. "Hey, he kinda looks like you, mate." Ray replied, glancing at Matrix. AndrAIa glared at him and Mouse hit him on the shoulder. Kalyle looked between Matrix and the sprite on the vidwindow. There was certainly a resemblance. 

Dot smiled over her shoulder at the surfr. 

"As he should, Ray." She said, returning back to the picture. "This...was Dr. James Matrix." 

"As in_ the _Dr. James Matrix!?" Kalyle exclaimed. 

"You've heard of him?" Ray asked. 

"Heard of him?" Kalyle rolled his eyes. For a search engine, this one didn't know much. "Dr. Matrix was a premiere scientist. He travelled around the Net, doing lectures sometimes. The guy's great!" Something then donned on him. "Matrix! Of course! I knew I recognized that name! You guys are related to Dr. Matrix?" 

"You could say that." Enzo muttered. 

"Wow!" Kalyle replied, a huge smile coming to his face. "That's why Turbo sent me here. Man, this is great!" Kalyle's excitement seem to annoy Enzo and Matrix, confuse Ray, Mouse, and AndrAIa, and concern Dot, Phong, and Bob. "Hey, wait a micro." Kalyle said, his excitement fading. "What do you mean that _was _Dr. James Matrix? He's not...you know..." 

"What?" Matrix asked, sarcastically. "Deleted? Yeah. Has been for a while now. He's deleted. Offline, quit without saving, end file. He's gone for good and he ain't coming back." 

"I...I didn't mean any...anything by it." Kalyle stuttered. "I just...I just thought that with the relatives of Dr. James Matrix helping out, it could really solve my problem." 

"And what is your problem, Mr. Daniels?" Phong asked, highly intrigued. 

"Bugs." Kalyle said, soberly. "A last gift from Daemon. It's not wide spread, but it is becoming a problem." 

"And you think my father's work could help somehow?" Dot asked. 

_So that's how they were related_, Kalyle thought. "Well, it wouldn't hurt." he said. "I mean, your father was one of the best scientist in the Net. Everything he did was a success. I mean, he was working on changing nulls back into sprites. If he could do that..." 

"No." Matrix said, standing and glaring at the new arrival in their group. "No! That's somewhere we're not heading. Now, we'll help you any way we can, but we're leaving my father out of it." 

"Come on!" Kalyle insisted. "Your dad was working on changing the nullification process! Surely a little bug problem wouldn't be too hard. What could it hurt?" 

"What could it hurt?" Enzo exclaimed, also rising from his seat. "What could it hurt, he says. Do you have any idea!? No, of course not. You don't live here. You've never been here." 

"Enzo, Matrix, calm down." Dot pleaded. She was well aware of her brothers' tempers. 

"Look, let's not rule out anything." Kalyle replied, his hand gripping the weapon under his coat. He didn't want to hurt them, but he would if he had to. "We're talking about the fate of an entire system." 

"My father already destroyed one system!" Matrix roared. 

"Enzo!" Dot cried. 

Matrix seemed to realize what he had said. He calmed down a bit. "I won't let him do it again." he whispered. "I have to go check on the CPUs." He pushed his seat back and stormed out of the room. Enzo gave one last evil glare at Kalyle before leaving after his brother. "I apologize for my brothers' outburst, Mr. Daniels." Dot replied, staring at the exit the two had left from. "Our father isn't regarded as highly as you think he is." 

"Ray, darlin', why don't we show the little cadet here the scenic views of Mainframe?" Mouse replied, standing and pulling Ray and Kalyle with her. 

"Good idea, Love." Ray said, catching the 'let's blow this popsicle stand' look she was giving him. To Kalyle he said, "Come on, boy-o. This here's a great system. It's a bit of all right if you ask me." 

"Come on, sugah." Mouse coaxed, dragging the resisting cadet by the arm towards the door. "Time for some sightseein'." 

"AndrAIa, may I ask for your assistance with protocols?" Phong asked, whirling towards the door as well. 

"Huh?" AndrAIa asked, slightly confused. Then seeing the look on Phong's face, she got the hint. "Oh!" she exclaimed, getting out of her chair. "The protocols! Of course, Phong. I'll give you a hand." She went to the door and said over her shoulder to the two remaining sprites. "You know those pesky protocols." 

"Dot?" 

Bob stayed seated, looking up at his wife the entire time. She was trying to control her emotions by breathing deeply, which seemed to help. He reached over and took her hand in his, gently stroking the back of her hand with his thumb. "They're right, Bob." she sighed, her eyes closed. 

"Who is?" 

"Everyone." Dot opened her eyes and looked down at him. "Enzo, Matrix, that cadet..." 

"Daniels." Bob corrected. 

Dot nodded. "It's our duty to help him, Bob." 

"Of course." 

"But Matrix is right. Do we really want to take a chance on something that Dad...Dr. Matrix invented? He has destroyed one system all ready and..." 

"Shh. Come here." he said, pulling Dot down to sit on his lap. "Look, I know it'll be a hard decision, but you know you don't have to make it alone. I'm always here if you need me, Dot. You know that." 

The two sat in silence for a few micros, Bob holding her on his lap and Dot's arms around his neck, her head resting on his shoulder. "You'll have to talk to them, you know." Bob replied, rubbing her back. 

"I know." Dot sighed. "It should be their decision too." 

"And you'll have to talk to Kit." Dot looked at him quizzically. "He's not basic, you know." Bob said, a small grin on his face. "He knows something's up and I think only his mother can put his fears at rest." 

"You're right." Dot replied, a grimace on her face. "And I'm sure Sabrina knows something's not right." Dot sighed once more, trying to decide what the best course of action was. "We'll also have to talk about...well, you know." Bob tried to read her face, wondering what she could be refering... 

"Oh." he said, nodding. "Well, you must admit, they do possess an incredible talent. It might come in handy..." 

"Don't even think it!" Dot gasped. "If we're dealing with bugs, Bob, I refuse to have my son and niece go up against them!" 

"Dot," Bob replied gently. "I wasn't thinking about that. I was thinking game wise..." 

"Which is just as worse." 

"But seeing as you brought up Cadet Daniels' problem..." 

"Bob!" 

"Look, tomorrow starts the cycle's end." he said, hugging her tighter. "Let's call a meeting for then and let's have Kit and Bri in on it. It's not fair they don't know what's going on. You know how I feel about keeping secrets, Dot. It's not right. At any age. They aren't basic." 

"But they are children." Dot whispered. "And Kit's our son. Sabrina's our niece. Do you really want to put them in danger?" 

"I'm not." Bob sighed, with a shake of his head. "I'm just saying they need to know what's going on. First things first though. They have to know what's going on with you and your brothers. At least Kit does. How Matrix and AndrAIa handle Sabrina is up to them. Besides...Dr. Matrix is his grandfather. Deleted or processing." 

* * * 

"So what's the deal with the Command.Com and those two green guys?" 

Kalyle sat in one of the booths in Dot's Diner, across from Mouse and Ray. They had been zipping throughout the system, showing Kalyle the sights, but most importantly keeping him away from places that might contain the Matrix boys and especially away from the P.O. where Dot was. 

"I'm not sure about that either, mate." Ray said, sipping on his energy shake. "It seems Mouse here knows more about it than I do." 

"I'm just as much in the dark as you are, Ray sugah." the hacker replied, popping a fry in her mouth. "But I will tell you what Phong told me and Andi. He found some quicktime movie file that he thought the Matrix line should see. Apparently it had some images of their parents and it offlined them a bit." 

"A bit?" Kalyle choked. "Did you see that big guy? I thought he was going to grab me and toss me out on my ASCII!" 

"Matrix is like that, KD." Ray smirked. "He's a bit settled, thanks to AndrAIa and Bri." 

"Look," Mouse said, becoming very serious. "Whatever's wrong, Dot and the Matrix boys will tell us in their own time. No need to be gettin' nosy." She looked at Kalyle, who held his hands up in defense. 

"Hey, I'm here as a good guy!" he proclaimed. "I'm not the wanted felon!" 

"Then as a good guy, mate, I suggest you try not to get on our nerves." Ray said, his tone turning serious as well. 

Kalyle nodded in comprehension. It seemed like nothing he did this second was going to please this crowd. 

* * * 

"I do not." 

"I think you do." 

"No, I don't. The very fact that you're even implying that I do..." 

"I'm not going on assumptions. I'm going on fact. Don't tell me you don't at least like her?" 

Kit stormed into the diner, with Sabrina Matrix right behind, torturing him about some girl she thought he liked. The two headed over to the bar, where Kit grabbed two energy bars, handing one to his cousin. Kit sighed, not knowing how much of this he could really take. 

"Hey dumplin's!" 

Kit turned and smiled. Saved by the bell or in this case, the hacker. She was seated with Ray (as was customary for those two) and some yellow sprite he had never seen before. He gave the guy the once over, noticing the icon on his chest and the leather jacket draped over the side of the bench. 

"Hi Mouse, Hi Ray." Sabrina greeted, walking over to the table. 

"Hello lovely lady." Ray replied, giving the girl his best smile. 

Kalyle looked over the two children. The boy was about 1.0, maybe 1.1. The girl looked about the same age, maybe younger. 0.8 or 0.9 at best. The girl looked like the sprite AndrAIa he had met earlier. Tanish, same aquamarine hair, but just a little darker and those violet eyes that seemed to tie the Matrix family together. The boy was a blue- green, dark spikey hair with small streaks of silver. He had dark brown eyes, much like his father. Both were dressed casually in t-shirts and jeans, the girl wearing a jersey with the name Vincent Black on the front and the number 280 in the corner, the back having the word 'LIGHTENING' written across the top and a large red and yellow lightening bolt in the back's center. Both were toting bookbags. 

"How was school?" Ray was asking. 

"Fine." Sabrina replied, rolling her eyes. "As basic and boring as ever of course." 

"I don't know." Kit said. "I thought Ancient Languages was kinda interesting." 

"You would." his cousin muttered. "But then again, isn't_ she _in your class?" 

"Knock it off, Bri." 

"Maybe that's why you enjoy school so much." Sabrina taunted. "The girl of his dreams is in just about every one of his classes." 

"Sabrina, if you don't shut up..." 

Kalyle watched as a small white ball started to form in the boy's hand. Out of instinct, his hand went to his weapon. KD knew he was just a boy, but still. He was forming a ball of light and who knows what that could do to everyone in the place. Kalyle's gaze went to the girl, who didn't seem to be phased by the impending danger she was in. 

"Calm down, Chris." she said, feinging a yawn. "No need to get your bitmap in a twist." 

As the boy calmed down, the light seemed to vanish as well. Kalyle was very interested in this. How was the boy doing that? 

"Oh, kids, this is a new friend of ours." Mouse replied, pointing to Kalyle. "Kalyle, was it?" 

"Yeah." Kalyle looked at the two kids. "Cadet Kalyle Daniels. From the Super Computer." 

"Aren't all cadets from the Super Computer?" Kit quipped, Sabrina laughing along with him. 

"Well...yeah..." Kalyle usually got a better response than this when he talked to other children in other systems. But then again, Mainframe wasn't exactly a normal system. 

"Don't pay any attention to him." Sabrina joked, poking Kit in the side with her finger. "I certainly try not to." 

"Hey, be careful with those." 

Sabrina shooed his complaining and continued talking to Kalyle. "I'm Sabrina Matrix and he's Kit Lan." 

"Oh, you must be Bri then." Kalyle surmised. "We were just talking about you." 

"Great." Kit groaned. "What have you done now?" 

"Shall I give you another poke? Maybe harder this time?" 

"You do and I'll..." 

"Hey." Mouse said sternly. "No trying to delete each other. I believe you made that a promise to your folks." 

"All right, Mouse." Kit said. "We're not gonna hurt each other. Again. Speaking of our folks, are they still at the office?" 

"Well, darlin', your folks are and I think Andri's still there. As for Matrix..." 

"Off brooding again, no doubt." Sabrina said, with a shake of her head. "He'll be alright. Frisket didn't meet us at school today, so I'm guessing Dad'll be protected." 

"Well, in that case, I guess we'll say bye." Kit said. "I'm sure we have homework to do." 

Sabrina did another rolling of the eyes. "Ugh! Don't you ever get tired of being the voice of reason?" 

"No, actually. I rather enjoy it." 

"I bet." Sabrina grumbled, turning and heading for the kitchen. "I bet it's because _she _likes you to be." 

Kalyle watched as the two children headed around the bar to the kitchen, Kit mumbling under his breath, "I will only use my powers for good. I will only use my powers for good." and through the door to the kitchen. The two kids bounded down the steps to the apartment, each dropping their book bags to the floor near the couch. 

"You want anything, Bri?" Kit called from the kitchenette. 

"I'm solid." Sabrina replied, grabbing the remote and flipping through channels. "Thanks though." 

Kit rumaged through the fridge until he came across things to make a sandwhich. He quickly made one and headed out to find Sabrina sitting comfortably on the couch watching tv. He plopped down next to her and started to eat. 

"So, do you?" 

"Do I what?" 

"Like her?" 

"Are you gonna start that again?" 

"Hey," Sabrina said, shifting so she could see him. "I'm only going off on what I see and what I hear. Don't tell me you weren't giving her the eye during lunch." 

"Bri," Kit said, swallowing a byte of sandwhich. "Girls are just that. Girls. And they certainly don't mean a thing to me." 

"Uh huh." 

"Besides, I don't know if you've noticed, but there aren't exactly a ton of girls floating about in Mainframe's Energy Sea." 

"I wonder why that is." Sabrina leaned back against the couch, gently chewing on her thumbnail. 

"Should you be doing that?" Kit asked, a bit alarmed. "I mean, won't you poison yourself or something?" 

"Silly boy." Sabrina chuckled. "I'm immune. Just like if you zapped yourself, you'd be okay. Though, I must commend you on your subject change. Very clever." 

"You might have something there." Kit said, chewing thoughtfully. 

"About you being clever?" 

"That's a given." was the boy's reply. "No, I mean why there aren't any more sprites in Mainframe. Besides us, I mean." 

"Maybe they moved away." Sabrina shrugged. 

"Every last sprite?" Kit popped the rest of his sandwhich in his mouth. "Come on, Bri. That's just dumb. Think about it. I mean really think about it. Besides us, and Nicki and Chip and Jet, there's like, what? Four or five other little sprites here? I mean, why is that?" 

"I have an even better question. What's wrong with our parents?" Kit looked at her in confusion. "Come on, Kitten Kaboodle, don't tell me you haven't noticed! I mean, what's the hidden file with your mom and my Dad and Uncle Enzo?" 

"You got a point. I haven't seen Enzo since the middle of the cycle." 

"Yeah and my Dad came home all late last night and his knuckles were bruised." 

"He got into a fight?" Kit asked. 

"Knowing my Dad, he was probably pounding on the concrete. But it's still weird." 

"I heard Mom and Dad talking last night." Kit replied. 

"About?" 

"I didn't hear the exact details, but whatever it was, totally got Mom offline. I'm kinda worried about her. And Enzo and Matrix." 

"That makes two of us." Sabrina replied. 

The two children sat silently, thinking about what could be so bad to get their parents so upset like this. And who was this new friend of theirs? The yellow guy in the diner. Why was he there? 

* * * 

"I hope you'll enjoy your stay in Mainframe, Mr. Daniels." 

Phong was showing Kalyle his quarters for his stay in the system, a little room inside the Principal Office. It had a bed, a desk with a few books on it, and an organizer near the bed's nightstand. 

"This is really great, Mr. Phong." Kalyle replied, looking around the room approvingly. 

"Phong, please." the wise sprite said. "We are all friends here." 

"All right." Kalyle grinned. He liked this old sprite. He wasn't sure why. He had only been in the system for a second and so far, he had half the staff mad at him. But not this guy. He was all right. "You can call me Kalyle. Or KD. Whichever you prefer." 

"Kalyle it is then." Phong said, bowing in respect. "How long have you been a Guardian, my son?" 

"Only about an hour." KD replied, walking over and taking a seat on the edge of the bed. "This thing with the bugs has kinda given me a hands on approach, you know?" 

"Ah yes. One of our Guardians went through that as well." 

"Tell me, Phong," Kalyle questioned, looking around to see anyone could hear them. "Why is it Mainframe has three Guardians? I mean, it seems pretty useless for one little system to have three protectors when..." 

"When elsewhere, Guardians are needed to protect other systems." Phong concluded. He closed the boy's door and rolled over to him. "You are correct, young Guardian. We are but a small system, but it seems we get our share of trouble, if not more. Our Guardians are here by choice. True, Bob wasn't assigned to us by the Super Computer, but he choose to stay. He says because he fell in love with the sights of Mainframe. I, on the other hand, feel he fell in love with the sight of one of our residents." 

"Dot, right?" Kalyle asked. 

"Correct." Phong replied, smiling at the memory. "But as I said, the decision to be a Guardian for Mainframe was that of Bob's. As was Matrix's. And then young Enzo." 

"I understand all that, but surely they realized how utterly ridiculous that was!" 

"Mr. Daniels, it is not ridiculous to want to fight for your home system." Phong replied rather sternly. He knew the boy was young yet and didn't know any better, but he still didn't have the right to imply they weren't worthy. "Our Guardians as well as our city have gone through barriers to see that Mainframe still processed. I believe that is in the highest honor." 

Now he had insulted him. Kalyle blushed at the smaller sprite's words. It was an honor period to be granted a Guardian and to have three...Mainframe must be some system. "I'm sorry, Phong." The cadet replied, his eyes downcast to the floor. He had been put in his place four times that second, five if you counted the yelling he had gotten from Matrix and Enzo that morning. All that was doing was making him look like an uneducated null who was pretending to be a Guardian. "I didn't mean to imply anything. I tend to stick my foot in my mouth when I talk." Phong placed a small hand on Kalyle's shoulder. 

"You are young yet and still have a lot to learn." he said. He patted the boy's shoulder and rolled out of the room. 

* * * 

Dot reclined against the back of the couch. This cycle was too much. She could just feel a system crash coming on. She had another TIFF with Matrix, this time over why Sabrina had to attend the meeting, yet another one as Matrix had complained, tomorrow morning. She then said she wanted him and Enzo in her office before hand. When she had thought it, it was supposed to help heal whatever pain they may be experiencing, but when she said it though, it came out as a superior officer calling his staff for a severe reprimand. 

Dot felt herself on the verge of tears, when a noise from the hall stop her and brought her attention back. Standing there in icon covered pajamas, was Kit. He had gotten up mainly for a drink of water, but had ventured into the living room and found his mother. 

"Kit!" Dot gasped, surprise by the sudden appearance. She had slightly been expecting Bob to pop up. "You scared me." 

The boy walked over to his mother and sat besides her on the couch. "Sorry." he said. "I thought I heard something, so I came over." 

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" Dot knew this was the cycle's end, but little sprites needed their sleep. 

"Shouldn't you?" the boy retorted. 

"Well..." Dot sighed. "That's a long story." 

"It's a long cycle's end." Kit quipped, smiling up at his mother. Dot shook her head, trying to hide the smile that passed her face. Kit got serious for a moment. "Mom, are you okay?" 

"Actually, Kitten, I'm not." 

Normally, Kit hated when people called him that, but for some reason, he didn't mind when his mother did it. He liked hearing her call him that, even though it was a girly nickname. "Can I help?" the boy asked. "I mean, I know I'm a little sprite and all, but..." The boy cleared his throat and looked away for a nano. 

"I'm kinda worried about you." he whispered. 

Dot looked at her son, the concern look he held in those dark brown eyes of his. She patted the space next to her for him to scoot over. When he did, she placed an arm around his shoulder and held him tightly. "First of all, your Uncles and I love each other." she stated. "So I don't want you to think that we're fighting. We're just a little..." She paused, trying to think of a way to say this. 

"Phong showed the three of us something about our past yesterday that really made us a little random." 

"Oh." Kit whispered. He looked up at Dot. "Was it something bad?" 

"No. Not really. I mean...there were some good images, but it reminded us of a bad time." She ran her fingers through the boy's hair, marvelling at how much he was starting to look like Bob. "It was about your grandparents." 

The boy's eyes widened. He knew his mother never talked about her parents or even what life was like when she lived here as a little girl. Kit could only imagine what that must've done. 

"It was so long ago, when it happened, that Matrix, Enzo, and I had tried to forget about it." Dot continued. "We can never really forget about it, of course, but still. Reliving that...nightmare...brought up some questions that your Uncles and I may have had in the back of our processors." 

Kit looked at his mother. She was strong, he knew that, but this was something big. Something like this would probably knock her down. He struggled to get to his knees, so he could lean on her shoulder and look in her eyes. "Gee, Mom, I'm sorry." he said, a look of sympathy radiating from his face. "I really am. If there was a way I could bring them back, I would." Dot hugged him, a few tears falling from her eyes to the cusion underneath them. 

"You're a sweet boy, you know that?" she said, kissing him on the cheek, then wiping her eyes. 

Kit blushed at the compliment and grinned. "Are you okay now?" he asked, hugging her again. 

"I will be, Kitten." she replied, patting his back. "Listen," she pulled back so they were facing each other. "We have a new...arrival...from the Super Computer and..." 

"Oh that cadet guy?" Kit asked. "I already met him." 

"You did?" Dot asked in suprise. "When?" 

"This afternoon when Bri and I came home. What's he here for anyways?" 

"Well, that's what I'm going to tell you. You see, Cadet Daniels has a problem that he wants us to help him with. He thinks your grandfather's work may help." 

"Wow." Kit whispered. "What's his problem? And why are you telling me?" 

Dot smiled. Always suspecting something. "He has a bug problem and I'm telling you this because I called a meeting for tomorrow and your father and I would like you to be there." 

Kit's mouth dropped open. He wasn't sure he heard that right. "You...you...you want me at the meeting?" 

"Yep." She tossled the boy's hair. "You're compiling up, Christopher. You're a smart little boy and it's not fair to keep you out of this. Besides, Dr. Matrix is your grandfather. You have a right to know about him." 

"Alphanumeric." 

Kit felt almost compelled to call his cousin and gloat, but then again he also knew there was a chance she'd be at the meeting as well. After all, Dr. Matrix was her grandpop too. But with Matrix...ha! He'd call tomorrow and gloat. Thinking about Sabrina made him think of their earlier conversation. "Mom?" 

"Yeah?" 

"Is Grandpa Matrix...is he...is he responsible for what happened to all the other sprites?" He didn't look at her when he asked. He kinda had a feeling he was, but he needed to know. Everything about his mother's past was sketchy. But if she had told him things so far... 

"Yes." 

"And the other city?" 

Dot nodded. 

Kit sighed out of frustration. Why he was frustrated, he wasn't sure, but suddenly he was. He wanted to learn more about his grandfather, but he knew some things he'd have to learn from Phong. He could tell this would be painful to Dot and his uncles. The faint cry coming from down the hall caused the two to snap from their thoughts. "Time for bed, Kit." Dot replied, standing and helping the boy to his feet. The two walked down the hall, Dot stopping at the first door, while Kit continued to the last bedroom. 

"Night Mom." 

"Goodnight, Christopher." Dot called, quickly opening the door. "Hey." 

"Yeah?" 

"Thanks for talking to me." Dot gave the boy a smile. "And for worrying." 

The boy smiled and shrugged. "I only do it out of love." He turned and went inside his room, closing the door parcially. 

Dot opened the door to the twins' room and walked over to the crib. In the dark, it was hard to decipher which twin was crying, until she picked the culprit up. 

It was Jet. He tended to be the crier. 

Dot bounced the baby in her arms, noting he wasn't wet or seemed to be hungry. Just a bad dream. As the baby calmed some, Dot glanced over the crib at her daughter, Phoenix, Nicki for short. Fast asleep. Bob had said nothing would wake that girl up and when she did awaken, she made sure everyone in vicinity knew she wasn't a morning person, something that was only apparent in the Matrix family line. 

Dot hit him. 

Jet finally stopped his crying and was sleeping contentedly on Dot's shoulder. She placed him down next to his sister and stared at them for while. They were starting to look a little bit like her now, the blue-green hue getting greener. She figured Nicki would look like her and Jet would look like Bob, maybe. Looking at them made her think about her own parents. How they must've stood like this over her and Matrix as they were babies. Jet and Nicki would have to learn about their grandparents as well. But that would come later. 

It also made her think about this bug problem they now had to deal with. Kalyle would surely give them more information tomorrow, that's why she called yet another meeting. Dot was worried though. She heard about bugs and what they could do to a system and what the queen did to the Command.Com and she didn't like the odds. She also thought about Kit's 'talent' as Bob had put it. She wondered if Jet and Phoenix would have the same thing. She wondered if Matrix and AndrAIa had ever had these thoughts, with Sabrina's 'talent' and now with Chip. What would _he_ be able to do when he got older? Phong wasn't sure exactly how these 'talents' manifested, but he had a pretty good idea. She wasn't sure if they could trust Kalyle to keep this under his top.   
  
  
  


**Chapter 4 - Talent Night**

"You're joking right?" 

The Matrix siblings had started out discussing whether or not to dive into the works of both James and Patricia Matrix. The siblings had the main control room to themselves, Phong had planned it that way, so they could talk in peace before the meeting. And that's how it had started. It was friendly enough, but something happened along the lines of communication. 

The three were now arguing. 

Actually, at this point, there were only two Matrixes quarreling. Matrix was sitting on the floor, trying to block the whole argument from his processor. He was still miffed at why Dot and Bob wanted their kids here for this meeting. They were going to be dealing with bugs. How were Sabrina and Kit going to help? He then realized what their plan had to be and he didn't like it. Worse, they plan to tell a complete stranger, forget the fact he was a Guardian Cadet, he was still a stranger, that their kids were..._extremely _special. 

Now Dot and Enzo were arguing over the actual topic they came in for. Dot thought they should at least give it a try and Enzo adamittly refused. "Have you forgotten what happened the last time?" he had said. Matrix hadn't forgotten, though things were a little easier for him. He had AndrAIa. Granted even in their time in the games, they had run across other sprites. But Enzo didn't have that. Even during the Daemon War, when refugees came into Mainframe, Enzo didn't seem especially excited about it. And why should he? They had teased him enough that he didn't want to hang out with them. After all, his sister was dating a Guardian at the time. His older brother was a Guardian. He didn't really blame him for being mad. 

"I remember very well what happened, Enzo." Dot replied, her voice growing cold. 

"He destroyed our home, Dot!" Enzo exclaimed. The whole experience had opened old wounds for him, ones that stung him more than they did Matrix. "He murdered everyone in the Twin City, including himself and our mother!" The boy was on the verge of tears now. 

"Don't say that!" 

"Well, it's true! If he hadn't been working on that basic experiment, we'd still have parents! We'd still have a home!" 

The group coming down the hall could hear yelling reverberating from the control room and through out the corridor. They exchanged glances before quickly heading towards the door. They caught the last part of the argument. 

"It wasn't his fault, Enzo." 

"Yes it was." That was Matrix. 

"Oh not you too!" exclaimed Dot. 

"It was his fault!" cried Enzo. "He blew up the Twin City! You think I'm gonna let you follow in his footsteps? Let you blow up Mainframe?" 

Dot was taken aback, not only by her baby brother's burst of anger, but what he had said. 

The sound of the door opening caused the three to halt their discussion. "Top of the mornin' to you, Lovely Lady." Ray bowed in front of Dot, taking her hand and kissing it. "Thanks, Ray." Dot said, rather distractedly. "Phong put out some memory wafers and cocoa if you guys want some." she said, making a gesture towards the snack cart near the console. 

"The meeting will start shortly. Enzo, Matrix, in my office. Now." 

Kalyle noticed Dot didn't look happy. But then again, none of the Matrixes seemed to be happy lately. He also noticed everyone else had their eyes on the office door. Kalyle had his eyes on that snack tray, he hadn't eaten breakfast yet. As he picked up four memory wafers and a cup of cocoa, he saw those two kids he met yesterday, Kit and Sabrina. He wondered why they were there. Of course, being in Mainframe for even a short period of time, caused Kalyle to wonder about many a things. 

The voices in Dot's office seemed to be growing louder, until Enzo threw open the door and stormed out of the Principal Office. Dot emerged followed by Matrix. Kalyle didn't want to know or even ask and apparently neither did anyone else. The group assembled around the conference table as last time, the kids taking Phong's spot at the table. "I think we'd all like to know a little bit more about this bug situation you're presently in, Mr. Daniels." Dot said, matter of factly. Kalyle nodded and stood, addressing all in the room. 

"Where to start?" Kalyle sighed. 

"I've found the very begining usually clarifies, my child." Phong replied. 

"I guess I should start at the time Daemon was ruling the Net." Kalyle said, then shook his head. "I guess I really don't need to explain to all of you about that. Well, after she was defeated, everything seemed to be back to normal. Or so we thought. It was actually hours before we discovered something was wrong..." 

_It started as small baby workers crawling out on the docks or even in the alleyways. No one had even paid attention. It couldn't possibly be serious, but that's what they wanted people to think. That nothing was going on. In reality, she had the thing planned out. She had a feeling Guardian 452 would get the best of her, so she came up with this plan. And it wasn't immediate either. It was minutes, hours before anyone really took notice. By then, it had given her just the right amount of time for the nests to build up and for the Soldiers to become stronger._

_It all happened in a system called Ysen. The smaller workers had been seen for minutes, but no one paid much attention, until the larger workers began wrecking havoc. The sprites weren't sure what to do. They had refused the help of a Guardian, still reeling from what they had done to their system. So the sprites of Ysen were unprepared. Their Command.Com had decided to take things in his own hands._

_They never saw him again._

_Then simultaneously, both the systems of Corin and Reugers were hit with bugs. They were hideous. Scarier than any virus. Some systems hoped a virus would come to take care of the bugs, then perhaps spare them of deletion. This idea was of course stupid. Either way, the system was doomed. Turbo had reports coming in from everywhere. Though he was healed from Daemon's infection, sometimes he could her voice in the back of his mind. It laughed at him, asking if he knew how the bugs came to be. That it was a lasting gift to those who had opposed Daemon. The Prime Guardian had sent guardians to places where they needed the most help, but the sprites would sometimes refuse, ever fearful of letting the fox in with the chickens._

_Only to discover that the wolf lay in wait._

_By the time Turbo had assigned a young cadet by the name of Daniels to the Orion system, 12 systems had been destroyed or were on the verge of collapse._

_Cadet Kalyle Daniels knew all too well what bugs could do. He should know. He lived in a bug plagued system for hours until he joined the Collective. His family was gone, thanks to them. His system, Delphi, had been the sixth system to be under the investation of the bugs. After hearing that the system had to be destroyed, he with drew into himself. That's when he stopped wearing the Guardian uniform and wore the trench coat he had gotten from his father. Turbo didn't even protest. He knew things were bad enough without trying to strict the dress code of old._

"As I said, fifteen systems are now under bug infection." Kalyle continued. He hung his head sadly. "We've had to destroy six of them because the system was so badly in disarray." He took a deep breath before bringing his gaze to meet Dot's face. "I don't know how it will help, but I just know your father and mother must've discovered something in their research." 

"I guess we'll have to vote." Dot said. She started with the Web research team. "Mouse? Ray? What do you think?" 

"I don't rightly know, hun." Mouse replied, a scowl replacing the usual smile. "I think I'd be more comfortable getting to know some of your daddy's work." 

"I agree, Leader Lady." Ray said, nodding. "I'd feel better knowing what we'd be working with first before giving the go ahead." 

Dot nodded and turned to the System Engineer. "Andri?" 

"I have my own concerns, but in my experience, any help is appreciated. " 

Dot turned to the Chief of Security. "Matrix?" 

"You know how I feel, Dot." he replied, not looking up from the spot he'd been looking at the entire time. 

"Yes, and I'm sure Enzo shares your insight, no doubt." Dot sighed. 

"No doubt." 

"Bob?" 

"I have to agree with AndrAIa, Dot. Bugs are nasty business. Any help we can get anywhere could really get us to hold our own." 

"Phong?" 

"As with your brothers, you know how I feel on the matter." the wise sprite replied. 

"It seems I have the last vote." Dot said, solemnly. After a few nanos of silence, she replied, "We'll do it." 

"Figures." Matrix muttered. 

"We do it...providing Matrix, Enzo, and I have the last say on the matter. I'll get our scientists to look into some things..." 

"Thank you, Ms. Matrix." Kalyle smiled. "I knew you guys would help. I just knew it." 

"Okay, Cadet," Bob replied, a lopsided grin on his face. "So we've decided help. Now we've got to formulate a plan and find out how to get rid of the entire nest. From what you've said, these are just little hives that are causing large damage, but there's got to be a queen somewhere controlling the hives and the entire nest. If we just find that..." 

"I hate to interrupt you, Uncle Bob," Sabrina replied. "But there's a game coming." 

"Cursors." Matrix growled. "Where?" 

Sabrina closed her eyes for a micro before saying, "Floating Point. You got time though. A couple of micros at best." Kalyle smirked at the girl. She was precious, she really was. He was tempted to tell her that games were left to grown ups when he heard Dot respond with, 

"Well, at least that gives us enough time to evacuate. Matrix..." 

"I'm on it, Sis." Matrix replied, standing and removing an organizer from his belt. 

"Hey, wait a nano." Kalyle said, standing as well. He walked over to where Matrix was getting in contact with the CPUs. "What're you doing?" 

"Contacting the CPUs." Matrix said. "That's kinda my job." 

"But why?" 

"There's a game coming." 

"Oh come on!" Kalyle replied, laughing as he did. "You're gonna listen to her?" He pointed at Sabrina. "She's just a little kid!" 

Matrix turned from his organizer and glared down at Kalyle. "Are you insulting my daughter?" he asked, the M engravement on his golden eye turning red. The cadet made a series of back spaces, trying to get out of the line of fire. 

"Um...No...no, sir...Mr. Matrix, sir." he stumbled. He really didn't want to be deleted, especially by him. "I'm just saying, she's a little sprite and you guys are just gonna listen to her. I mean, there hasn't been any warning. Nothing that would suggest that..." 

**WARNING: INCOMING GAME! WARNING: INCOMING GAME!**

Sabrina folded her arms across her chest and smiled at Kalyle. "Who's a little kid now?" she snipped. 

"Sabrina..." AndrAIa warned. 

"Sorry." Kalyle looked at the girl. He couldn't believe it. Was it just an incredible coincidence that she just happened to know a game was coming? From the looks of everyone, it seemed as though they were used to this. Like it happened all the time. 

"How did you do that?" 

"We'd better get to that game before it lands." Bob replied, grabbing his zipboard and heading towards the door. 

"You stay, I'll go." AndrAIa said, kissing Matrix on the cheek. She then grabbed the almost comatose Cadet Daniels and pulled him to the door along behind her. 

"How did you do that? How did she do that?" 

* * * 

Enzo was waiting patiently on the grass of Floating Point Park. He had been here since he left the P.O. and was actually sitting underneath the path of the game. He looked around and saw the two figures he'd been expecting and a third he wasn't. AndrAIa reached him first, giving him a slight shove on the arm. 

"Trying to steal all the fun, huh?" 

"Spam it, will one of you listen to me!?" exclaimed Kalyle. He had been screaming at both Bob and AndrAIa to give him some answers. 

"What?" the trio cried back. 

The purple cube descended upon them. The wave and tingle passed over them and they got their bearings. "How did she do that?" Kalyle was asking. Bob rolled his eyes and looked at Enzo. "Well, Guardian?" Enzo smiled, the first time in this random cycle. This was the first time he'd be in a game with other people. Before it was just him and Deco, but now he could show off for his two favorite sprites in the Net. Just as Enzo was about to call to Deco, Kalyle called to his keytool. 

"Crover, stats!" 

Bob quickly covered his mouth with his hand. "I do believe we'll let the Guardian of Mainframe handle this." He gave the cadet a look, then smiled over at Enzo. "You were saying, Guardian Matrix?" 

Enzo smiled again at Bob. "Deco, stats." he said. The tool beeped and blipped and posted a read out on it's screen. "Cool." the young guardian replied, nodding in appreciation. "We're in a racing game called Lightening Way. All we gotta do is the beat the User to the finish line." 

"Let's Reboot then." AndrAIa said, tapping her icon and saying the magic word. The men followed her lead. 

When the tingly feeling had left, Enzo found himself dressed in a blue jumpsuit with an identical helmet under his arms. He stood next to a small motorbike, this one white with a large blue strip across the side. Bob was a red driver, his bike being red with black drawings on either side. Kalyle felt the most ridiculous. He was the pink driver, along with a pink and purple motorbike. AndrAIa leaped joyfully when she saw what she was wearing. A black jumpsuit that seemed to fit the curves of her body and a black helmet. Her bike was a Vincent Black Lightening model, a little smaller than one she would've liked, but it was great. It was black, with a yellow strip enclosed in red stripes going down the side. 

Bob looked at her. Enzo shook his head. 

"I know, I know." she said, sitting on the bike. "What is it with me and bikes?" 

"Kismet." Enzo replied, also getting on his bike. "Like I said before. It's like destiny." 

* * * 

The rest of the group sat around the table, discussing their involvement in yet another battle. Kit and Sabrina actually found the meeting pretty boring. Well, the bug situation sounded interesting and so did checking out the works of doctors James and Patricia Matrix. Kit kinda wished the meeting would end soon. He wanted to talk to Phong. He was hoping he could hang out with the scientists as they dove into his grandfather's work. 

"We'll have to be prepared, just in case we get our own bug invasion." Dot was saying. 

"Preparation is key in any line of defense." Phong replied, quoting one of many anectotes. "We will need to know exactly where the nest seems to be moving, so we may perhaps cut them off at the pass." 

"We're gonna need to have the shields extra padded, mates." Ray replied. "First and foremost, we gotta keep those bugs from getting in here." 

"How come?" Sabrina asked, looking up from the doodle she had been making with her fingernail. 

"It's bad, puddin'." Mouse said, not wanting to go into details about what the queen did to the Command.Com. 

"Very bad." concluded Ray. "The queen sucks up all the energy from the core..." 

"Thus crashing the system." Kit completed. "Basic, yet cool in a way." 

"We'll need anitoxin, too." Matrix spoke. 

"There are many things young Kalyle will have to tell us." Phong said, nodding his head slowly. 

"Until then..." Dot sighed. She looked over at Phong. "I need to know where all my parents' works are located." 

* * * 

Inside the game, Enzo and AndrAIa were neck and neck with the User. They were on the third and final lap of the race, with Enzo, AndrAIa, and the User tied for first, Bob trailing behind in fourth and Kalyle behind him. They were surprised they managed to get this far. 

The race started, with AndrAIa quickly taking the lead, the User behind her. Kalyle, in a bid to move up, had grazed Enzo's bike, causing him to crash into Bob and knocking out half the bikes behind them. So now the young cadet was in third. The User had overtaken AndrAIa, pushing her into second place, but Kalyle moved up and captured first place. AndrAIa moved up next to him and the two had been neck and neck. Trying to avoid an obstacle, Kalyle had swung into AndrAIa, crashing her in the side rail. The three experience gamers were now in the back of the pack. 

The second lap held the User in first, a yellow motorbike in second, a purple bike in third and Bob in fourth. Kalyle had run into an unseen obstacle and was now in the back of the pack. AndrAIa gunned her engine, surpassing Enzo and edging towards Bob, who smiled and let her pass. Soon, she, Enzo, and Kalyle were side by side trying to catch the User. Every time one of them went for the User, Kalyle would pull right in front of them. Finally getting on their nerves, both Enzo and AdrAIa steered the cadet into an oil spill on the road, causing him to spin out. 

Now, the race for first was chaotic. The User tried to out gun and push both competitors with no luck. Finally, AndrAIa pulled back behind the User. The User, not caring what she was doing, was still intent on crashing Enzo. But Enzo knew the manevuer well. It meant there was a hazard up ahead. Seeing both the oil slick and the jumper straight ahead, he bumped the User until he hit the jumper, the User hitting the oil slick. 

**GAME OVER!**

* * * 

"I said I was sorry!" 

The quartet made their way back into the command room, Enzo, Bob, and AndrAIa sharing the same look of annoyance, while Kalyle trudged behind them, apologizing. "It's not every second you compete with three other people _and_ a User!" 

"The goal of any game, Cadet, is to win and save an area of the system you're protecting." Bob replied, walking over to his chair by Dot. 

"It doesn't matter which of us wins, as long as we do!" Enzo sneered, giving Kalyle a death stare. 

"Do I want to know what he did?" Matrix asked, speaking to his wife, but looking at the cadet. Kalyle shook his head vigorously. 

"You certainly don't hesitate to get into trouble, do you, Boyo?" Ray asked, sarcastically. 

"Cadet Daniels," Phong spoke, trying to divert attention back to the topic at hand. "We would appreciate more on the subject that plagues the Net." 

"Of course, Phong." the young sprite gulped. "What do you need to know?" 

"When you're going back to the Super Computer." Enzo muttered. 

Phong gave Enzo a look and the boy quickly shut up. "As our Guardian stated earlier, it is imperative that we discover the larger nest so we may destroy it. That is what will be the toughest." 

"Well," Kalyle said, thoughtfully. "The first case was discovered in Ysen, but that was one of the systems that had to be destroyed, so I don't think the nest is there." 

"What about the other systems infested?" AndrAIa asked. "Could one of them be a nest?" 

"That's hard to say." Kalyle replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "Obviously the systems that are destroyed don't count, but the ones that remain...I know some of the bugs have been taken care of. I can have Turbo send out a recon to find out for sure though." 

"Do that." Dot replied, her Command.Com persona taking hold. "Meanwhile, AndrAIa and Mouse can work from here on strengthening the shields. Matrix, make sure all the CPUs are on alert in any event... well, in any event. Ray and Enzo, go and find out which systems have antitoxin and which don't. Maybe we can help the systems that don't. Bob, you're with me and Phong." 

"Hey, what about us?" Sabrina asked, excited about the prospect of actual fun. 

"Don't you know?" Dot smiled. 

"Let me guess." Kit said, winking at his cousin. "We're babysitting, right?" 

"Nope." Dot replied, laughing at the surprised look on her son's face. "You'll be getting our scientists ready." 

"Yes!" Sabrina exclaimed, giving Kit a high five. 

Dot chuckled at the excited sprites. "Well, don't just sit there. Didn't I give you all something to do?" 

"Yes sir!" the group replied, each heading out for their own jobs. Phong rolled out of the room with Dot, Bob hot on their heels. 

"So what's my job again?" he asked, coming in stride with the two. 

"You're going to help go through Dr. Matrix's files." Dot replied. 

Bob merely nodded. He felt honored in some way, knowing she wanted him there as she went through journals and papers her father and mother had probably written, but he felt odd about it. Enzo and/or Matrix should be in his place. But judging on how the brothers had taken her decision to do this, he figured he would provide more support to her. 

Phong led them down the corrider until they stopped at the Archives. The room was fulled with records of events in Mainframe's history. Every sprite's initiation file was located here, providing they were initialed in Mainframe, of course. Bob knew Kit's file was in here somewhere, as were Dot and Enzo's. Phong shut the door behind them and walked over to a panel. "This way, my children." he said, pressing a small staute. The wall opened to reveal another room, filled the same way the Archives was. The trio walked in, Phong standing in the doorway, while Bob and Dot looked about them. "This is where your father's documents can be found, Dot." Phong replied, looking around himself. "You may window me when you have found what you're looking for." 

"But Phong," Dot asked, turning around to face her mentor. "What exactly are we looking for?" 

"I surmise, Dot, you will know when you find it." 

The old sprite walked back through the hidden entrance, the door closing behind him. "Kinda vague, isn't he?" Bob joked, staring at the door. 

"Bob, look at this place." Dot said, in awe. "There's so much stuff here. How do we know what we're looking for?" 

Bob shrugged. "I guess we'll know when we find it." 

"Thank you, Phong." Dot replied, sarcastically. She looked back around. "Let's get to work then." 

* * * 

"So, you kids want to know about James and Patricia Matrix, huh?" 

Kit and Sabrina had taken a slight...detour from their task. They were in the science lab of the Principal Office, taking to a Prof. Parker, a one binome in a lab coat and a large eye unit, covered by a monocole. "Christopher, this is not what your mother sent us to do." Sabrina complained. She was watching their first chance at being important being flushed down the Energy Sea. 

"Hush." Kit whispered. "Don't you want to know about your grandparents?" 

"Of course I do." Bri sighed. "User knows, Dad doesn't talk about them." 

"Well then, hush up." he said. "Besides, we're in the science lab. We're talking to the scientists. Isn't that what Mom said to do?" 

"Not exactly..." 

"When did _you_ become the responsible one?" 

"And people say _I'm_ the troublemaker." Sabrina sighed, rolling her eyes in the process. 

Prof. Parker returned from talking to another binome to the two youngsters. "Well, kids, what do you want to know first?" he asked. "First of all," Sabrina replied, wanting to stick to the plan before going off on the hunt. "Commander Matrix sent us down here to prepare you for bugs." 

"We have bugs?" Parker asked in horror. 

"No." Kit said, calming the professor down. "We, specifically, do not have bugs. But we are going to help systems with them." 

"Oh." the binome sighed in relief. "And the Commander would like us to ready some antitoxin, huh?" 

"We're not sure, sir." Sabrina confessed. "She just told us to tell you guys to be ready. I'm guessing she means anything." 

"Now that we've got the information out of the way," Kit said, wanting to go back to his previous conversation. "What can you tell us about Doctors James and Patricia Matrix?" 

"They were good sprites, I'll tell you that." the professor replied, wiping his eye with his hand. "I worked with them occasionally, in the Twin City." He was silent for a while, as though reliving good times of the past. "I don't suppose your parents discuss them a lot." 

The two children looked at each other, then back to Parker. "Not really." Kit said, sadly. "I mean, I understand it was really painful losing them and all, but..." 

"I take it you don't know the whole story." The kids shook their heads. The binome sighed, removing his monocole. "I'll tell you what they were like." he said, finally. "But I won't discuss the Twin City. That's something you should talk about with your folks or Phong even." The professor sighed again. "But they were good sprites..." 

_Peter was just an intern when he arrived in Mainframe. He had his choice of living in either Mainframe or it's equally beautiful Twin City. Peter chose Mainframe, as he was just starting out and needed cheap lodgings. But he'd be working in the Twin City, as an intern in the Science Labs. He heard he'd be assisting the renouned Dr. James Matrix and his wife Patricia. They were perhaps the next Marie and Pierre Copier. Their research on nullification was making it's way around the Net and it would probably be the answer to the nulls that ran the systems. Their work was important for everyone._

_And they were nice. Peter met them the second he got arrived in Mainframe. They were inside the Principal Office talking to Phong, all the while watching a small green skinned girl running around the command room. They talked to him, asking about his home system and his schooling, introduced him to their daughter Dot, and asked him over for dinner one second. The family left and Peter stayed and talked to Phong. The then Command.Com told of the Matrixes . The wife, Patricia, was quite a business woman. She owned three businesses in Mainframe already and she had only lived there for an hour. Her husband, James, spent most of his time at the Science Labs, working on various projects. At the time they had a Guardian, Laser, who spared the entire system from nullification by winning the game cubes that dropped. This had been a project James Matrix would work on._

_The reversal of nullification._

* * * 

"Hey, Dot. Look what I found!" 

Bob and Dot were surrounded by read me files. They sat on the floor, files, vidwindows, and the like cluttered around them. Dot looked up from the many vidwindows that surrounded her to look over at Bob. He was sitting near the opposite wall, loads of files scattered around him, holding up what looked like a picture. Dot left her fort of files to venture over to Bob. She took the picture from him and smiled. 

"I remember this." 

The picture was of two children, one a teenager, the other a small toddler, standing front of a sign that read, Little Bits' Bumpers. The sky was a beautiful blue and you could see sprites and binomes in the background enjoying the ride. The two children were smiling, the younger one looking very excited. 

"Dad..." Dot struggled for words as she said the name. "Dad took this at the carnival." 

Bob handed another picture to her. "I found this one, too." 

The picture was burnt on several sides, but it was still intact. It showed a happy family of four, a toddler in between its mother and father and a young girl standing behind them. They were dressed nicely and smiling for the camera. 

"This was the last picture we took before..." 

Dot could feel tears welling up inside her, the memory of the young family taking the picture. The last picture she ever took with her parents. 

"Baby, maybe we should take a break for a while." Bob replied, standing and rubbing Dot's shoulders. Dot shook her head, handing the picture back to him. 

"Somewhere my parents have a file on bugs." Dot said, looking about the room. "We just have to find it." 

Bob just nodded and went back to his search. The two spent what seemed like milliseconds in the room, going over different files. Finally Dot cried, "Yes!" and started to download a particular file into her organizer. 

"Find it?" 

"I think so." she replied, glancing at her organizer as the file downloaded. "I didn't read the entire thing, but I think this is it. I'll have you and Cadet Daniels go over it. See what you think." 

"I found something, too." 

Dot looked up at Bob, confusion on her face. In his hand he held a read me file. His face was grim, as though he was bringing her bad news. 

"What is it?" 

Bob held out the file for her to reach. 

"It's your father's journal." 

* * * 

"Tell me your plan again?" 

Kit stopped short in the hallway to face Sabrina. The two were headed back to the command room when Kit told Sabrina an idea he had. 

"Look," the boy sighed. "I don't know about you, but I want to find out about our grandparents. I understand if our folks were waiting for the right time, wait until we're older, but we're not basic. I think we deserve to know, especially now, don't you think?" 

"So we go up to Phong and just ask?" Sabrina questioned. "You know he'll say 'discuss it with your parents'." 

"Maybe, maybe not. The point is, Dr. Matrix is responsible for the Twin City disaster. How and why, I don't know. He's also responsible for leaving Mom and your dad as the only sprites in Mainframe. Why and how, again I don't know. But I'm willing to find out." 

Sabrina sighed. When Kit got something in his processor to do, he'd do it. And he was right. He knew more about this Twin City/Matrix family thing than she did and she was curious too. After all, James and Patricia Matrix were her grandparents as well. She figured she'd be getting no answers from her father. 

"Okay, but if we get caught, the blame goes on you, Kitten Kaboodle." 

* * * 

Kalyle sat his room, playing with his organizer. He sent the message to Turbo to send recons to the systems still processing and find out their bug situation. Right now, his mind was on other things. He wanted..._needed_...a talk with Phong. He hated not being in control and this was one of those situations. First and foremost, he wanted to know about those kids. Kit has energy light coming from his hands, Sabrina could predict game cubes. How? If the process could be duplicated, it would come in handy with the survival of the Net. And those other kids. Hack and Slash had mentioned two other children belonging to Bob and Dot. The way they talked, they must be infants. He remembered Matrix had left to go check on Chip. Was that his son? What could _those_ kids do? 

Then there was the case of Dr. Matrix. When Dot had come back with that information on her organizer, he knew the problem was taken care of. He and Bob decided to work on it later in the second. In fact, he'd be going over to their apartment. Great. He could talk to that kid and maybe check out his siblings. And maybe what Dot had in her hands when he left. Dot and her brothers had been standing in a corner after their return, talking quietly about some file Dot was showing them. What was in that file? KD had wondered, watching as Dot had taken it and her brothers had watched her silently leave. He'd have his chance later that night. Maybe... 

* * * 

Sabrina was sitting up in bed, playing a racing game in her bedroom, the organizer moving as she made turns and pushed foward to beat the user and move on to the next level. 

"That had better not be my organizer you're playing games on." 

Sabrina quickly paused the game, knowing the voice immediately. "Um..." she started, trying to think of the best lie she could. "No, Daddy." she said, sweetly. She only called him 'daddy' when she wanted something and needed to get out of something. "You see, I was doing my homework and..." 

"Don't start." Matrix said, walking over to the bed. "I know this lie. I_ made _this lie." 

"I learned from the best?" she said, grinning up at him. 

Matrix shook his head and sat next to her. "At least tell me you've got it." he said, pulling on the ponytail her hair was now in. "And when you put new games in." He gave her a smile, before unpausing the game and playing it himself. Sabrina looked at her father. She was just about to hear the story of James and Patricia Matrix, when her parents made her come home. _Ugh,_ she thought. _Just because they're finished working, didn't mean I was._ She watched her father play the racing game, easily beating the user and finding a special bonus level. "Show off." she muttered. Matrix just smiled. At least he was in a good mood. _I hope._

"Daddy, can I ask you a question and you won't get mad?" 

"Is it about boys?" Matrix asked, still playing. 

"No." 

"Then ask away." 

Sabrina sighed. Her father, always the protective type. The extremely big and jealous and protecting type. Her mother always said they were too much like each other. They were usually arguing over something and ending in a stare down, though Sabrina clearly had to stare up at her father. But she loved the big lug and she did pride herself on being daddy's little troublemaker. 

"What were your parents like?" she asked, noticing him tense up at the subject. 

"I got you another bonus level and up to level six, but it gets harder." he said, handing back the paused game. 

"Dad..." 

"Sabrina, I don't want to talk about it." 

"Fine." Sabrina sighed, leaning back on the pillows. "I'll just grow old and bitter thinking about how my father never once talked about his parents." She shook her head. "If that's the life you want for me." 

"Guilt won't work." Matrix said. 

"That wasn't guilt." the girl replied, glancing at her father. "That was pity." 

"Goodnight Sabrina." Matrix attempted to leave, but stopped when Sabrina grabbed his hand. 

"Dad," the girl pleaded, trying to pull the large sprite back to her. "I'm not basic, you know. It's not like I don't know what's going on between you and Enzo and Dot. Give me some credit." 

Matrix turned to look at his daughter, concern echoed in her eyes. He never tried to treat her like a little kid. He hated it and so did she, but some things she couldn't understand. He couldn't tell the anger and rage he felt or even the sadness. That wasn't something he was going to share with his 0.8 hour old daughter. 

"Daddy, they're my grandparents too, you know." she whispered. 

Matrix sighed, then knelt down beside his daughter's bed. "They would've loved you." he said, stroking her cheek. "They would've loved your smile, your jokes, your curiousity...your caring nature." 

"My over all spirit?" Sabrina smirked. She held her father's face in her hands for a moment. "Do you really think grandpa's work could help with this bug thing?" 

Matrix took a deep breath and held it. "It's not my decision, Angelface." he said, closing his eyes. "It's Dot's. She is the Command.Com, after all. I can only give an opinion. The final word is on her." 

Sabrina studied her father's face for a while. She could tell he was hurt, the combination of his father and Dot voting for using his work was etched on his face. Betrayal maybe? Sabrina removed her hands from his face and gave him a kiss on the nose. "Don't worry, Daddy." she said, snuggling under the covers. "Everything will work out for the best. You'll see." Matrix looked down at his daughter, who smiled at him. She was becoming more and more like AndrAIa every second. He kissed her forehead before standing up. "And stop being mad at Aunt Dot and Uncle Enzo, you big null!" she quipped, closing her eyes and yawning. 

Matrix started to say something, then shook his head. He picked up his organizer, left the room, and closed the door. He headed to his own room, careful to be quiet, in fear of waking up his wife. But she was already awake. As soon as he walked in and sat on the bed, she reached out to hug him. 

"You know, in all the hours I've known you, I don't think you've talked about your parents once." 

"There's nothing to talk about, Andri." Matrix muttered, saving the game and turning off the organizer. 

"Nothing at all, huh?" She looked at him and kissed his cheek. "I said you could talk to me, Sparky. Rule hasn't changed." 

Matrix stood up and walked over to the window. He peered out at the darkened system, looking out at the lights and buildings. "I hate him, Andri." he replied, not turning from the window. "I love him and hate him at the same time. He's right up there with Megabyte. Someone who nearly ruined my life." He shook his head and turned to look at her. "I don't know what I would've done without you." He walked back over to the bed and once again sat down on the side. "This is so much harder on Enzo. I had you. He didn't. You never got to see the look on his face during Daemon. Knowing that the other sprites that came here avoided him, taunted him. He was beat up like every second. It wasn't enough that Mainframe had two Guardians in it. One guardian was dating his sister, the other was his brother. It's kinda hard defending your family by yourself, but he did it." He took a sharp breath and exhaled. 

"There's another problem though." he whispered. 

"And that being?" 

"I don't think I remember him." Matrix said. "I mean, I remember some things, but...it's not like with Bob or Dot or you. I remember everything like it was yesterday. AndrAIa, I remember Megabyte more than I remember my own father! And I think Enzo feels the same way." 

AndrAIa hugged him tighter, knowing when to let him have his moment of silence. She had spent her life with this sprite, learning every move and tick that made him up to be Enzo Matrix. But she never knew this. He had mentioned when they were younger that they were the only small sprites in Mainframe, but he never really went into detail about it, saying an explosion happened and they were all deleted. It took hours before she learned it had been his father, Dr. James Matrix, who had headed the experiment that caused the explosion. This situation they were in now seemed to bring up thoughts he had when he was younger and Enzo being his younger self was having them as well, though, as Matrix had stated, he was taking it harder than his older brother. And both could only find the anger of the situation. The anger that their father was responsible for leaving them alone, for destroying their true home, for deleting their mother. It was becoming more and more apparent what demon each Matrix was facing. 

Dot was faced with memories, while the brothers were faced with anger and disappointment. 

* * * 

Dot heard the door open and shut, presuming Kalyle had arrived to talk to Bob. She, on the other hand, was content on sitting in bed, reading her father's diary. She had told her brothers about it, asking them if either wanted to read it first. Both had declined. She removed her glasses and was lost in thought. 

What exactly were her brothers going through? 

She knew it had to be similar in nature, they being the same sprite and all, but Enzo's anger seemed to be a driving force, a drastic departure from the happy go lucky young adult he was. Matrx seemed to be more withdrawn, distant, someone he was reverting back to. Both boys had come a long way from the restart those hours ago, each helping the other cope with the presence of...themselves. And the three were becoming closer. It seemed the more Enzo grew up, the closer the siblings became. Maybe because Dot saw them as adults now, settling down, starting their own families. But this seemed to be driving them apart and she couldn't understand why. They were both convinced anything remotely related to their father's experiments was only going to destroy another system, another family. 

But could she really blame them? 

She replaced her glasses and began reading again. She had started reading the journal as soon as she and Bob had gotten home. It had started from when James had entered a scientific conservatory to begin an internship. She was now at the part when he and her mother had arrived in Mainframe. 

**August 3rd**

**Well, we're here. In the system of Mainframe. Patty heard they were excepting interns at their Science Labs and what a place to be. We'll actually be living in the system known as the Twin City, connected to Mainframe by a lovely bridge. Both cities are breathtaking. Patty seems to like it as well. She said it was a perfect place to start and raise a family. Is she hinting at something? I must admit, this is a wonderful place.**

**Sept 14th**

**Patty and I are doing well here. Phong, the Command.Com, says the system has never seen better seconds. I like him. He's very nice and he even offered me cocoa. He's in charge of both cities here and seems to know everything about anything. He is a most interesting sprite. I enjoy going to the Principal Office just to gather his wisdom on things. Things are going so well here.**

**Oct 7th**

**Wonderful news! I'm going to be a father! Can you believe it? Ha ha. Of course you can't. Well, neither can I. A baby. Patty is having a baby. I certainly can't think of a better place than this. We just moved into a house in the Twin City, near the Little Theater. Think of the little sprites my son or daughter will be able to play with. Even better news. The virus theory I proposed has gone through. We'll be starting on something tomorrow. Then in another cycle, I'll actually be giving a lecture in another system. I always did love travelling, but I'm worried about Patty. Should I be leaving in her condition? I'll ask Phong. That's what I usually do.**

Dot skipped forward, looking for the date leading up to the Twin City disaster. She needed to know something. 

**May 21st**

**I don't know how long it's been. Ten, twelve hours in the making, I'm sure. I just know that we've been working on this and haven't seen the end to the problem yet. So many sprites and binomes have lost their lives already. I can't give up, but there doesn't seem to be an answer in sight. The experiment is taking time away from Patty and the kids. Dottie's a woman now, running our diner. Her diner one second. Enzo's going to school and the like. They're the reason I keep this up. I don't want them to have to deal with the thought of nullification one second, especially now that our guardian is gone. I want a life for them.**

**May 23rd**

**This is unusual for me, I know, but I just felt I needed to write some things down. Patty and I were working on the project again today. We're always working on the project. Enzo spends most of his time at Dot's and I'm sure he feels left out. We hardly have time for them anymore. I guess I should say I never have time for any of my family anymore. I'm always in the lab or out lecturing. I think our marriage is falling apart. I know my family is. But I think we're close to a break through, I really do. After that, things can go back to normal. Things will be great, the way they used to. I can't quit now.**

**May 27th**

**I'm in such a rush, but I think I should write this down. It moved. The null I've been working on moved. It started to change and then stopped. I think with the use of a little more treatment, the experiment will be a success. Oddly enough, I'm worried. What if something should go wrong? I know it's random talk, but it might. I have to see Phong about backing up the system. I also need to talk to Dot and Enzo. Tell them I love them. But then, I'm being silly. It's not like I won't be seeing them again.**

Dot sighed, remembering those same thoughts the second of the explosion. She looked at the last entry in her father's journal and then closed it. 

* * * 

Kalyle once again found himself inside Dot's Diner that night. He wanted to talk to that kid of Dot's, see what he could do. He wondered how a child like that could possess the talent he did, but that was in the back of his head. He was thinking how it would help them in this fight. How it could help the Net. Kalyle knew this was just a kid, but still. He had been a kid and he became a Guardian. What was the difference? 

The cadet followed Bob's instructions and headed towards the kitchen. He had the waiter droid show him the stairs that led to the Lans' apartment. Cecil shooed the lad away before going back to his duties. How Dot got along with that thing was beyond him. He knocked on the door and waited. He smiled at the young sprite who answered the door. 

"Oh, it's you." replied Kit, already dressed in his pajamas. 

"Just little ole me." Kalyle said, his smile getting wider. 

Kit moved aside to let the cadet in and closed the door behind him. "Dad's in with the twins, so he should be out in a little bit." he said, gesturing to a chair for Kalyle to sit and then hopping on the couch. 

"Nice place." the cadet replied, looking around. 

The place seemed to be bigger on the inside then the outside. The living room was cozy, a large couch in the center, the chair he sat next to it. A tv was set up on the opposite wall and was showing some sort of documentary that the young Kit seemed to be watching. A kitchenette was to the left, table cleaned and dishes in the sink. Two high chairs were folded in the corner by the fridge. KD turned his attention back to the child, who was captivated by the program he had been watching. 

"What cha watching?" 

"True Stories of Mainframe." Kit replied, not taking his eyes off the screen. " They're reinacting the whole Medusa Bug thing. It's an old episode. It's before my parents got married." 

"I see." Kalyle said, nodding his head slowly. He leaned over, wanting to ask the boy the questions he had in his head his whole trip there. "Say, Kit, was it?" The boy nodded. "I was kinda curious about that thing you did in the Diner the other second." 

"What thing?" Kit asked, still watching tv. 

"When you...threatened Matrix's kid." 

"Name's Sabrina." 

"Whatever." Kalyle said. "You got mad and you started forming an energy ball in you hand." 

"So what?" 

"That's kinda strange, don't you think?" 

For the first time, Kit tore his eyes away from the tv program and looked at Kalyle. "Not for me it isn't." He said, smirking. He turned his attention back to the vidscreen. 

Kalyle narrowed his green eyes. This kid was going to hard. The cadet sat back in his chair and stared at the boy. "So you're special, huh?" he grunted. Kit raised his eyebrow at the cadet and continued watching tv. "As I had been saying, you may not think it's strange, but I do." KD continued. "How did you learn to do that? Do your parents know about this? How did you discover..." 

"What're you? The Binome Inquisitation?" Kit muttered. 

"Kit, could you get...Oh hi Cadet." 

Bob walked through the living room and sat down next to his son on the couch. The sudden, but expected, appearance by the guardian caused Kalyle to discontinue his questioning until later. "Kit, you mind getting a bottle for your sister?" Bob asked. 

"Sure Pop." 

The boy gave his father a smile and headed off to the kitchen, giving a smirk to Kalyle as he passed. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Cadet." Bob apologised. "I was giving the twins a bath. Hence why I'm still slightly wet." 

"No prob." Kalyle replied, waving the incident away. "I was having an interesting chat with your son." 

Bob nodded, a smile on his face. He trusted Kalyle Daniels like he trusted Hexidecimal. Long enough to get information and help, but he wouldn't hesitant on destroing the ex-virus. He understood Kalyle was still a rookie, but something about him made red flags go off in Bob's head. The earlier incident with Sabrina and the game cube had gotten the cadet's suspicions up. Bob had been trying to do his best, making sure Kalyle stayed away from the kids, in case his curiosity got the best of him and he wanted to exploit the kids' powers. Mainframe didn't need that type of ally. 

"Well, let's get to work, huh?" Bob suggested, heading into the kitchen. 

"What exactly was it you found today, Bob?" 

"Dot and I looked for anything her father may have discovered on bugs." Bob replied, pointing to a chair at the top for the sprite to sit. Bob did likewise and took his usual seat at the table, across from Kalyle. "We might have found something." 

Kalyle's trademark grin appeared on his face. Things were starting to go right on this little adventure of his. It didn't matter what had to happen next, as long as he found a cure to saving those systems, everything would be worth it. 

Even if he had to turn into the enemy.   
  
  
  


**Chapter 5 - Uninvited Guest**

The Mainframe staff stood in the command room early the next morning. They started making plans on how to combat a bug infestation in case it came to Mainframe. Mouse and AndrAIa continued their work on strengthening the defenses, Bob and Enzo kept on the look out for incoming games, while Dot and Kalyle discussed strategy. Kit and Sabrina were regulated as babysitters, watching their younger siblings in Dot's office, while Ray had disappeared with Phong in the conservatory. Everyone was present though when Specky, the one binome Lieutenant, announced a message was coming in from the Super Computer. 

"Patch it through, Lieutenant." Dot replied, as everyone waited for the message. 

"Hi everybody!" called a young woman from the other side of the vidwindow. She was dressed in Guardian blue, her brown hair slung in a ponytail. She was tan, with deep blue eyes. and a winning smile. Enzo couldn't help but grin at the beautiful sprite. 

"Hello, Cadet." Bob said, grinning at the girl. "How're things at the Super Computer?" 

"Oh, just wonderful." the sprite replied, rolling her eyes as she did. 

"Well, if it isn't Cadet Hewlett." Kalyle said, addressing the sprite on screen. 

"Cadet Daniels." Alexandria Hewlett sighed. She wasn't expecting him so early in the morning. "Turbo said he sent someone out to Mainframe." 

"Disappointed?" Kalyle sneered. "I know how you upper classmen feel about someone stealing your thunder." 

Alex glared at the young man before muttering, "It's too early in the morning for this." She turned to Dot and said, "Turbo put me in charge of that recon crew you guys wanted. Just wanted to let you know the deal." 

"Report, Cadet." Enzo said, giving the girl a flirtacious smile, to which she returned. 

"I went with another cadet to the system of Pastoria. They had been hit along with the first cases, but they managed to have everything under control." 

"Did you look for a nest?" Kalyle asked. 

"That wasn't our job, Cadet." Alex said, with an air of authority. "But from what I saw, the bugs have either been destroyed or they're in hiding. Buzz and I went over that system and we didn't find anything out of the ordinary. I will say Pastoria is one of the few systems that don't mind having guardian's come to tea, if you know what I mean." 

"All too well." Matrix mumbled. He still remembered how hard it had been in Mainframe during Daemon's reign. 

"Do you know if they have any antitoxin, Alexandria?" Phong asked. 

"They do, but it's barely enough to cover their system if the bugs are hiding. But they are willing to help any system that needs it." 

"Good." Dot said, her mind whirling with thoughts and different ideas. "Alex, do you have the reports from the other recon teams?" 

Alex grinned. "Sure do." she said, holding up a disk. "And I can download it to you in a few nanos." 

"Proceed." 

Alex put the disk in her organizer and started to send the file through to Mainframe's address. Mouse was the one to get it. "Got it, sugah." she said, tapping some of the keys. 

"Great." Dot replied. "Maybe that list will help us narrow down our problem. Thanks, Alex." 

"No prob." the girl said, smiling. She then turned her attention to Enzo. "Guardian Matrix, may I have a word with you? Private format?" 

"Of course." Enzo said. "I can take it in...uh..." 

"Take it in my office." Matrix said. 

"I'll take it in Matrix's office." He said, grinning at his brother. He then headed out to his brother's office. 

"Well, see you guys later." Alex said. 

"It was good to see you again, Alex." AndrAIa called from her console. 

"You, too." the girl laughed. "Stay frosty! That goes for you too, KD." Alex smiled. "Alex out." 

Kalyle gave an evil glance at the vidwindow as it minimized. _Private format indeed,_ he thought. He saw the looks those two were giving each other. He had heard that they were dating, but only their close friends knew that. He and Alexandria Hewlett weren't exactly the best of friends. 

* * * 

"I've missed you, Scooter." 

Enzo was talking to Alex on screen in his brother's office. The office was an array of Matrix's stuff and others. Pictures of family and friends stood on the desk, which was slightly cluttered with files and bike magazines (obviously AndrAIa had stopped by one second). There was also a baby bottle nestled in the couch and various toys littered about the floor. 

"Allie, don't call me Scooter." Enzo said, grimancing at the nickname. 

"You weren't complaining when I called you that on the second before your birthday." the girl replied, smiling seductively. 

"That was...different." 

"What about when I was in your dorm room and we..." 

"Alex!" Enzo exclaimed, blushing at the memory. "All right, all right. The name stays. Like you planned it, I suppose." 

"I always get my way, Lover." Alex said. "Say, what's with Professor Pain in the ASCII? What's he doing here?" 

"To help with this bug problem, I guess." Enzo said. "Turbo sent him to ask for our help. Why? I noticed you two aren't exactly close." 

"He's a pain, believe me. You don't remember him?" Enzo shook his head. "He didn't really hang out with us. He's in the same class I'm in, but he's a loner. And he's trouble, Enzo." 

"What do you mean?" 

"He believes in the win-lose situation." Alex said. "He wants to win at all costs." 

"What do you know about this guy?" Enzo asked, taking a seat on the desk. 

"There's a lot." Alex said, giving him a small smile. "And I can't think of a better way of sharing it." 

* * * 

"So Grandpa Matrix blew up the Twin City?" 

Kit and Sabrina were sitting on the couch in Dot's office, keeping a close eye on their siblings. Right now, Chip and the twins were sitting peacefully in a crib by the wall. Using the quiet time, Sabrina decided to find out about the conversation between Phong and Kit. 

"Yeah." Kit said, shaking his head. "I mean, Phong didn't go into specifics, but that's what he said. He said that Dr. Matrix was in charge of this experiment to turn nulls back into sprites and binomes. Somewhere, somehow, the thing backfired, causing Twin City to explode. Mom and Uncle Matrix were in the Diner, so they were safe from harm." 

"But not the other sprites in the city." Sabrina concluded. 

"Exactly." 

"Wow." Sabrina breathed. "No wonder everyone's on edge. It makes sense now." 

"Yeah, but we still don't know the whole story." Kit said. "And we don't know if Grandpa's work is gonna help with these bugs. And...we've got another problem I think." 

"You mean besides Dad and Enzo and Dot not talking to each other?" 

"Bigger than that." Kit said. He cast a glance at the adults outside in the command room. His eyes immediately focused on Kalyle Daniels, who stood looking over AndrAIa's shoulder. "That Kalyle guy. Have you noticed he's been trying to get us alone the last couple of seconds?" 

"Yeah." Sabrina replied. "Every since that game cube hit, he's been pestering Dad and Mom to try and do something with me. I think it's rather creepy and I have just the solution to end his problems." She then extended her nails. 

"Stop that!" Kit hissed, jumping from the couch to close the door. "We've already got that guy on edge about our abilities. Let's not give him anymore, you know?" 

"Sorry." 

"But you're right." he continued. "I don't know what he knows, but I have noticed Dad trying to steer him away from us. I think we should follow his lead." 

"You think he's got certain plans for us?" Sabrina asked. 

"I don't know." Kit replied, once again opening the door. "I just think with this bug thing, if he sees an opportunity, he'll probably go for it." 

* * * 

"And that's all I know." Alex finished. 

Enzo shifted his weight on the desk in order to think. The more he found out about Kalyle Daniels, the less he liked. Bad enough the guy thought he was the User's gift to Guardian kind, but the fact that he nearly cost them that racing game and now his sudden interest in spending time with his niece and nephew was slightly disturbing. This bug situation wasn't helping and either was his break away from Matrix and Dot. If anything, he could really use their advice right now. 

"So what do you think, Enzo?" Alex asked, seeing the expression on his face. 

"I can tell you I'm not happy about it." the young sprite said, getting up to start pacing. "I knew there was something about him I didn't like when he got here." 

"I'll admit KD is a bit on the pain side." Alex said, watching her boyfriend pace in front of her. "But you gotta cut him some slack. This bug thing is kinda close to home for him." 

"I'll cut him some slack once this thing is over and I find out why he's so interested in Kit and Bri, though I'm sure I already know." 

"Whadda mean by that?" Alex asked in confusion. 

Enzo stopped his pacing to look at her. He had told her everything about him and his family, except for this and right now he was thinking about letting it slide. He knew she would never do anything to hurt him or the kids. They loved her and vice versa. "It's nothing, AJ." he replied, smiling at her. "I just think he's trying to get information from them. But we got it taken care of." Well, at least he hadn't exactly _lied_ to her. 

Alex studied his face for a nano. She knew he wasn't telling her the whole story. She had noticed the strained looks between him and his brother before she left. Were they fighting again? She remembered Enzo had told her about the restart causing another Enzo Matrix, namely him, and how the brothers didn't get along at first. It took about two cycles to even get the two to talk to each other. And another thing. What was going on with Kalyle and the kids? Enzo's statement rang in her head. "Trying to get information from them." She knew Daniels to be a tad bit ruthless, but even he wouldn't stoop so far as to bribe little kids. Would he? 

For the time being, she'd let it go. For now. 

"Okay then." she said, returning the smile. "If anything comes up, you_ will _let me know, won't you?" The tone of her voice and the emphasis on will made Enzo realize Alex knew something was already up. 

"Of course, sweetie." he said, nodding. "And if anything happens on your end..." 

"You'll be the first to know." 

Enzo closed the connection and took a seat in Matrix's chair. The guardian closed his eyes and his mind started thinking. It certainly had been the start of a trying, if not taxing, cycle. His first few seconds as the Guardian of Mainframe was certainly more than he realized he could handle. He had one problem after another in those few short seconds and they seemed to be mounting as he sat there. He relaxed a little and tried to sort things out. 

The first problem had started when Phong had called him in that morning. Those images of the long forgotten Twin City had started the downward spiral of his sanity for sure. He was still struggling with the feelings he was having. He was only a little sprite when that happened and he had done a pretty good job of erasing some of the pain, but obviously not all of it. It was times like this he wished he were Matrix. At least Matrix had AndrAIa and even that was a fluke. No game sprite had ever been out of a game before and there she was. Apparently Dre had been right when she said she fell for Enzo on that little fish ship of his. 

But Enzo didn't have that. He didn't have someone who was willing to risk their life and safety for him all in the name of friendship. Sometimes he wished he could catch the game AndrAIa came from, hoping he could meet the real one and get her to come back with him, to be his friend. But the thought eventually faded away. How basic and dumb was that? That would cause even more problems than two Enzos. He thought everything would be okay once the threat of Daemon lured over them. More and more sprites were coming to Mainframe in refuge. But all that did was land him in more trouble. The new little sprites hated him. He was the younger brother of a guardian. His sister, the Command.Com for User's sake!, was dating a guardian. Enzo couldn't count how many times he had barely dodged a fight. 

He was just a little sprite then, trying to combat the rumors that were spreading about his family. He remembered when AndrAIa had picked him up from school one second. The next morning, he was confronted about the beautiful young sprite. 

_"That your girlfriend?"_

_"She your bodyguard?"_

He wished he could've kicked himself for what he said next. 

_"That's my friend AndrAIa. She's a game sprite and she's gonna be my sister one second, so you'd better..."_

_Idiot!_ he thought to himself. All that did was cause more problems for him. Before he just had to stand up for Bob and Matrix and even Dot sometimes, now he'd inadvertently gotten AndrAIa involved and that was the last thing he wanted. When they found out she was a game sprite, the teasing and bullying just got worse. Then when they finally put two and two together and realized she was dating Matrix, it seemed nothing Enzo could do would save him from a daily beating. 

That's when he started working out with Matrix. 

He had said it was to spend more time with his older brother, but he thought Matrix knew the truth. That's why they worked so hard. By the time the war with Daemon was over, he was growing into an adolescent, who could easily take Matrix in a fight. Or so he hoped. Enzo's desire to be a guardian was just fueled by the taunts of classmates. _He'd show them, _he thought._ One second, he'd be a guardian and they would need saving and he would fight his mend and defend programming and leave them there to fight whatever problem was bothering them. That would teach them. That would teach them all._

Of course, Enzo grew up and stopped having those thoughts. That's not why he wanted to be a guardian. He wanted to help people, like Bob and Matrix. And he knew he wanted to be Mainframe's guardian, despite the fact that Bob and Matrix were already there. He didn't care. His system needed him. Even with two guardians, Mainframe seemed to falter now and then and needed everyone to help. Sometimes he'd think about how his parents would be proud of him and then his thoughts would be clouded with anger and sadness and he'd have to stop thinking about it. 

But now he couldn't do that. Their problems were smashing right into his face. 

Enzo sighed. His parents and the Twin City had only been the start. Then this Cadet Daniels shows up and brings more pain to the Matrix family then needed. His bug problem almost required that Dr. Matrix's work be the main focus of getting rid of the pests, but that also meant facing the problem head on and that's what ultimately caused the breakdown between he, his brother, and their sister. Even though he and Matrix felt the same way, the two hadn't talked to each other until that second. He and Dot hadn't spoken since their argument. His family was falling apart and right now, he was going to blame someone for it. 

And that someone was Kalyle Daniels. 

The cadet was irrational and annoying. He had something up his sleeve and Enzo wanted to know what. He had a suspicion it was probably Kit and Sabrina. He wished Dot hadn't invited them to that meeting. What exactly was she thinking? She obviously wasn't, something that just didn't happen with Dot. Or maybe...she had the same idea Daniels did. The thought sickened him and he knew it couldn't be true. Not Dot. Never in a million hours would Dot think to use Kit or Sabrina to fight in this war of bugs. Would she? Right now, Enzo was unsure. He'd seen Dot do some unDot like behavior this cycle and somewhere in his processor, he thought she could be capable of it. 

Finally, Enzo's mind started to drift away, leaving his previous thoughts in the back locker for now and whisking him to another place. The colors were marvelous. Reds and blues, greens and purples lighted up the landscape from where he stood. He was in a big field of grass, reminding him of Floating Point Park. There were flowers of every color there. Birds and butterflies filled the sky. Enzo looked around him and saw little colorful people surrounding him. They were fuzzy and had antenna that looked like shapes protruding from their heads. 

"Hello, Mr. Enzo." said one fuzzy. He was purple and had a square antenna from his head. His voice was high pitched, but still had some masculine depth to it. 

"Hello, Mr. Enzo." another fuzzy replied, this time Enzo could tell this was a lady fuzzy. She was blue and had a circle coming from her head. She also had the most beautiful blue eyes Enzo had ever seen, rivaling that of both AndrAIa and Alex. 

"Who are you guys?" he asked, looking around him at the rainbow of fuzzies abound. 

"We're here to take you on a magical journey." said the lady fuzzy. 

"To make you leave your troubles behind." replied the man fuzzy. 

"That's gonna be a little hard." Enzo quipped. "I have so many, I'd probably need to sit down and tell you them all." 

"It's okay, Mr. Enzo." a small fuzzy replied, tugging on Enzo's pant leg. She was a child, maybe a little younger than Sabrina, and was yellow. Her antenna was that of a hexagon. 

"We believe in you, Mr. Enzo." the lady fuzzy said. 

"You are the guardian of Mainframe." said the man fuzzy. 

"I'm one of the guardians of Mainframe." Enzo corrected. 

"No, no." the man fuzzy insisted. "You _are _the guardian of Mainframe. Guardian Bob handed the honor to your brother Matrix. And he in turn handed the honor to you." 

"So...I'm the answer to all my problems?" Enzo asked. These fuzzies were really weird and he wasn't sure why he was dreaming about them. He _had _to be dreaming about them. 

"Yes and no, Mr. Enzo." the lady fuzzy replied. "For this problem you are working on, you will be essential to the solution." 

"But your niece and especially your nephew hold the key in to stopping a great plague and even saving not one, but two lives." said the fuzzy man. 

"Whoa, whoa!" Enzo said, trying to sort this odd information. "Which problem? Who are they planning to save? And how are my niece and nephew involved?" 

The only response Enzo got from the small fuzzies was each holding hands in a big circle around him and then they started to sing. 

_You look very tired, there is much to do,_   
_So you are not wired, this what you do._   
_Listen to our song, let your problems go away,_   
_You look very tired and this is what we say._

"Hey, will you guys stop singing for a nano?" Enzo claimed, trying to make sense of this odd little song. 

_Saving all your system, that is what you do,_   
_Taking all your problems and your solutions, too._

"Listen, if you could just answer me this one question..." 

The little fuzzies stopped their singing and looked at the young guardian. "Oh my, yes, of course, Mr. Enzo." the fuzzy man replied. "Ask your question." 

Enzo sighed. "How do I get out of here?" 

"Very soon, you will hear a call of distress." the lady fuzzy said. 

"And unfortunately, that will bring about a much bigger problem than you expected." said the man fuzzy. 

"Yeah, thanks." Enzo muttered, sarcastically. "You guys have been a_ real _help." He could feel a headache coming on. He just knew it. 

"Goodbye, Mr. Enzo." said the small child fuzzy. "Have a safe journey." 

That's when he heard the scream. 

* * * 

Everyone in the war room had heard the scream, too. They couldn't miss it. It was coming from Dot's office. 

"Kit, do something!" Sabrina cried. 

The two had been sitting in the office, thinking of something to do, when Jet Lan started to whimper. Kit had looked over and became panicked. Hovering over his brother was a large worker bug. The bug was slightly larger than his younger brother, with enfolded wings on his back, and long antennas on his head. The bug's body was black, but the wings were a shiny grayish color. Pincers came from his mouth and it looked as though the bug had found a meal in the nearby crib. 

When Sabrina had seen it, she instantly screamed, causing the bug to look up and hover protectively over the crib. Kit had been frozen with fear. What could he do? He had never seen anything like this before, but from somewhere within him, he knew it was a bug. That alone made him realize what could happen once that bug actually came down on his brother, sister, and baby cousin. Sabrina's screams were fading into the background and he could only concentrate on the bug in front of them. In the distance, he could pounding on the door. 

The bug, obviously shaken by the child's screams, decided it found the food fair and square and had plans to eat it. "Get away from my family!" Kit screamed, his hands stretched out in front of him, orbs glowing from the palms, and pointed straight at the worker. 

"Kit, unlock the door!" Bob exclaimed. 

He and the others stood at the door, trying to get it open, only to find that it was locked. The screaming from inside continued, until they heard Kit exclaim, "Get away from my family!" The room seemed quiet after that. Bob continued pounding and soon the door opened and the group of adults walked in. 

"What's wrong?" 

"What happened?" 

"Are you okay?" 

"Is anyone hurt?" 

The questions came a mile a nano and all directed at the small children in the room. "Therewasthisbuganditwasoverthecribandwetried scaringitandallofasuddenthereitwasand..." Sabrina rattled, her words forming into one big mono sentence. "Christopher, what happened?" Bob asked, turning his son to look at him. Kit seemed to be in shock and finally shook his head clear and looked at his father. "There...was this bug over the crib and..." 

"A bug?!" everyone exclaimed. 

Soon, there was a rush of activity around the room, people rushing to the other side, checking the babies in the crib and examining the bug. "Why did you lock the door?" Matrix asked, staring down at his nephew. "I...I...don't know, Uncle Matrix...I..." the boy stuttered, not remembering why the door was locked. That was something he would never do, so why had he done it? 

"What did you kill this bug with?" Kalyle asked, kneeling over the corpse. When he didn't get an answer, he turned to look at Kit. 

"With that readme file on the desk." Kit answered, meekly. He pointed to a read me that sat on the desk. The same one he had been reading a while earlier. 

"It was so nice of you to replace it on your mother's desk." Kalyle sneered. 

"I'm very polite like that." Kit shot back. 

"Let's stay frosty, Cadet." Bob said, glaring at the young sprite. "Look, I'll take the kids over to the Diner and I'll be back in a little while, okay?" 

"Don't trouble yourself, sugah." Mouse piped up, pushing past Bob and putting an arm around Kit's shoulder. "I'll take the little dumplin's over there myself. You just stay here." 

"You're sure, Mouse?" AndrAIa asked. "I mean, you don't mind?" 

"Mind?" At that, the hacker laughed. "It certainly picked up a borin' second." After getting everyone's stuff together, Mouse took the kids over to the Diner, while Kalyle stayed in Dot's office. 

Kalyle stayed back, saying he was going to get the bug ready for examination by the lab. He looked the bug over and saw it couldn't have been hit over the head with a read me file. The bug showed scorch marks, most likely from an energy beam of some sort. Kalyle was positive that kid had caused this. The how was still yet to be determined, but he knew the kid had some sort of power. And apparently, Bob was getting suspicious. So were Matrix and AndrAIa. He couldn't go within a foot of those kids, without having some adult intercept him. Well, he knew one way to find the truth. And he would find it. He'd also have to find out how this little bug had even gotten in here. He'd need to scan the Principal Office for a nest and hope this was just a weird fluke. Either way, he was going to rid the Net of Daemon's bugs. It didn't really matter now how he did it.   
  
  


**Chapter 6 - Mainframe's Dirty Little Secrets**

The control/war room was quiet when Kalyle entered that night. He wanted answers and if the sprites he was now surrounded with weren't going to tell him, he'd find out anyway. He had waited for the scientists from the lab to pick up the bug and even paid one orderly a couple of units so he could find out cause of death before the others. KD had a feeling the others already knew what happened. He noticed the adults seemed to keep a closer watch on Kit and Sabrina throughout the rest of the second. He grinned. They were going to try and keep their secrets safe, but he was going to learn them anyways. 

Kalyle walked over to the first console and removed his organizer from his hip. He made sure everything was still quiet. Even though everyone else lived in apartments or houses, the old sprite Phong lived and walked these halls, especially at night. He had to be sure he was completely alone. He was about to do something that totally went against all guardian protocol, but he was at war. Mainframe would be at war, that was confirmed today when that worker bug had showed up. He'd have to do a complete scan of the system for a nest. That would wait. Now, he had other plans. 

With his organizer in his lap, Kalyle quickly brought up the Mainframe registry, the file that had every sprite and binome living in the system logged. After bringing up the registry, he did a search for initiation files on the 'matrix'. The screen brought up a list of five names: 

MATRIX, CHIP D.   
MATRIX, DORTHEA   
MATRIX, ENZO DAVID, SR.   
MATRIX, ENZO DAVID, JR.   
MATRIX, SABRINA A. 

Kalyle quickly hit the link for Sabrina. The screen quickly popped up, reading ENTER AUTHORIZATION CODE. Kalyle looked at the screen with a growing amount of interest. Why would you need a password to view an initiation file? He went to work, trying to hack into the file. Mouse wasn't the only hacker in this little system. He'd learned the trade as a hobby, never wanting to use it, unless he absolutely had to. It was against his guardian programming. But the business with Daemon and now her bug minions had caused him to do things he probably wouldn't. Or at least, not get caught doing. 

After about forty microseconds and two close calls, he finally made his way inside. AUTHORIZATION APPROVED. Without missing a beat, he copied the whole file into his organizer. He then came back to the Matrix screen and hit Dot's name. It had her initiation file as well as her marriage file. He clicked into the marriage file, hoping to find her children's names attached. And he did. Clicking on Kit's name, he got the same ENTER AUTHORIZATION CODE screen as before. The same amount of time transpired as he tried to break the code. Once done, he also downloaded the whole file into his organizer. He was just about to leave when he decided to go back to the main Matrix screen. He clicked on the Matrix, Enzo David, Sr and downloaded the file and repeated the process with the Enzo David, Jr. file. He put everything back where he found it and slipped out and headed back to his room. 

Standing in his room, his back leaning against the door, Kalyle let the breath he had been holding escape from his lips. He thought he had gotten away with the task. He hadn't seen any security monitors anywhere, so he knew he wouldn't be on tape. Or at least he hoped he wouldn't. Regaining his composure, he quickly locked the door, and went to his small little desk. Unhooking his organizer, he turned on the small light that sat on the desk. He just hoped the files had downloaded. Those codes were hard to crack, probably something Mouse had installed, but why? He turned on the organizer and looked for the files he had downloaded. A success! There they were, all four. He wanted to know this whole Enzo, senior and junior thing. Matrix didn't look old enough to have a child Enzo's age, but he clicked on the first file anyways. 

NAME: MATRIX, ENZO DAVID, SR.   
INITIATION DATE: 100010010000011   
FATHER: MATRIX, JAMES P.   
MOTHER: MATRIX, PATRICIA ANN   
SYSTEM: MAINFRAME 

Kalyle kept the Enzo, Sr. file up and brought the Enzo, Jr. file. 

NAME: MATRIX, ENZO DAVID, JR.   
INITIATION DATE: 100010010000011   
FATHER: MATRIX, JAMES P.   
MOTHER: MATRIX, PATRICIA ANN   
SYSTEM: MAINFRAME 

Kalyle was extremely confused. With the exception of the titles, they were the same initiation files! He was almost positive the Matrixes couldn't possibly had two sons and named them Enzo. Unless both doctors really loved the name Enzo, something was definitely up. How could both Enzo and Matrix have the same initiation date, but be about ten hours apart? Kalyle shook his head clear, minimizing both windows. He then turned his attention on the files he had originally wanted. He opened Kit's first. 

NAME: LAN, CHRISTOPHER ROBERT   
INITIATION DATE: 110010111000   
FATHER: LAN, ROBERT P.   
MOTHER: MATRIX, DORTHEA   
SYSTEM: MAINFRAME 

The interesting thing about this file was the fact that Phong had attached another file to it. Maybe that's why it's protected, Kalyle thought, clicking the link to open the file. Perhaps this would finally explain some things. The note was written by the old sprite himself. Kalyle started to read, knowing whatever was going on, Phong would tell him the answer. "I remember the second as though it just happened, which in fact it did. I had received a vidwindow from Bob earlier that morning..." 

_Phong was enjoying a relaxing cup of cocoa when a vidwindow appeared in front of him. The worried face of Bob greeted the wise old sprite. "Good morning, Bob." Phong replied happily, bringing the cup to his lips. "How may I help you this lovely second?" Bob blew out a breath and looked around quickly, searching for any sign of his wife._

_"Phong, it's very important I see you right now." the guardian replied._

_Phong was worried instantly. He'd never seen the guardian's face so troubled. Granted, his time in the Web had changed him, but it seemed in the hours after the restart he was returning to his normal happy-go-lucky self. To receive a call like this was very distressing. "Of course, Bob." Phong said. "Come and talk to me at the Principal Office." Bob nodded and closed the connection. Phong whirled from the command center, wanting to know what the problem could possibly be. Were he and Dot fighting? The couple were known to have their occasional TIFFs, but they always came back together in the end. Could something be wrong with Christopher? The boy had been initialized only an hour ago and already he seemed to be a force for his parents. Phong smiled. Parenthood was never easy, as they had discovered._

_A short time later, Bob arrived at the Principal Office, with a small little bundle in his arms. He entered his authorization code and walked through the doors of the Principal Office. The guardian found Phong waiting for him in the hallway. "I have been waiting for you, my son." Phong replied, rolling towards the blue sprite. He greeted the small bundle in Bob's arms and asked, "Is something wrong with Christopher?" The guardian scrunched his face in thought and then said, "I'm not sure."_

_"Then come with me."_

_The two went to the medic section of the P.O. and Phong selected a room where the two could be alone. "What seems to be the problem, Guardian?" Phong asked, with a grin. Since the initiation of their son, Bob and Dot were always coming to him seeking advice, convinced their son was sick over the littlest of problems. "Phong," Bob started, then placed Christopher on the table next to him. The baby easily crawled out, wanting to explore his new surroundings. "I wanted to bring Bobby down cause... well...I know you're probably thinking this is just another routine crisis, but I really think something's up."_

_"What seems to be the problem, Bob?" Phong asked again._

_"I wanted to bring him here, without Dot knowing, of course." Bob continued, keeping a watchful eye on the little baby that crawled on the table. "She'd go offline if she knew."_

_"Knew what?" Phong asked. "Bob, you have yet to state your problem to me."_

_"I think he's...gotten...a hold of something."_

_"Meaning what?" Phong asked, confused._

_Bob hesitated for a nano, then began to start. "Dot and I bought him a new crib last cycle because he completely destroyed his old one. Scorch marks on the bars." At Phong's confused look, Bob continued by saying, "I guess I brought him down to ask if...well...if it's possible for him to have...inherited my powers."_

_Phong looked at Bob and then at his son. "You mean the powers you acquired from your merger with Glitch?" he asked, still staring at the child._

_"Yes."_

_"It...might be possible." Phong said, coming closer to examine the child. Like a typical baby, Christopher didn't enjoy being deterred from his explorations. He wiggled and squirmed out of Phong's grasp and started crawling again. "Because Glitch is now completely in your codes, you may have passed on some, if not all of your powers to your son."_

_"What about Dot?" Bob asked, the truth not making him any happier._

_"What about her?" Phong asked._

_"Well...you know...when...when we merged and then when we took our vows..."_

_"Hmmm..." Phong replied, whirling about. "This is most interesting. I must admit I didn't think this could occur."_

_"Neither did I," Bob said, picking up the baby and taking a seat on the table._

_"Tell me, when did you first notice your son's abilities?"_

_"About a couple of minutes ago." Bob replied, bouncing his son on his knee. "He was playing in his crib and...well, I'm not sure what happened, but suddenly he had a small ball of energy in his hand. He must've lost interest, because it disappeared as fast as it came."_

_"Hmmm..." Phong muttered, pacing the floor. "Interesting. It'll take us time to fully realize his capabilities. Most interesting. I can't believe I didn't see this event happening."_

_"Phong, back to Dot..."_

_"Hmm?" the wise old sprite asked. "Oh yes, whether she too may have these abilities." He stopped his pacing and turned to look at Bob. "That, Guardian, I do not know. Perhaps even Dot may not know. In the meantime..."_

_"In the meantime," Bob said, hoisting Christopher up into his arms. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't say anything about this to anyone, especially Dot. I don't think she could handle this right now, not with everything else."_

_Phong was disappointed, but nodded to the request. Bob then took Christopher and left the medic ward. Phong continued to stay in the room, thinking about this conversation. He couldn't believe this never crossed his mind. He knew of Bob's new powers, but it never occurred to him that he could pass them on to his offspring. And then there was Dot...in all marriages, the couple has the choice of code sharing if requested. This act required each to download part of their code into the other's icon. It was a symbol of true love and very very personal. Phong knew deep down, before they even came to him for the request, that's what they were planning. He couldn't believe he hadn't thought of this. With Glitch now a part of Bob's code, that code was now partially inside of Dot as well as their first child._

_Phong smiled as he left the room. Such a system he was living in. So many things had torn this system in half, brought it to it's breaking point, and now they were at a time of considerable peace...in theory. They still had the super virus Daemon to contend with, but the wedding of Mainframe's Guardian and it's Command.Com had been a welcomed release from the upcoming war they would have to face. And then, after learning that young Matrix and AndrAIa were engaged, happiness once again reigned as Dot learned she was pregnant. Christopher Robert Lan had been the first baby sprite initialized in Mainframe for a very long time, the first since Matrix had been initialized there._

_The conversation he had with Bob was starting to fade away. Something like this wasn't normal and he sure didn't know of any other place that faced a problem like this. Well, hopefully for Bob's sake, his son's powers would grew less potent when he got older or perhaps he would learn to control them slightly better. The wise old sprite walked back to the conservatory, so he could water his flower and plants. Little did he know he'd be faced with an almost exact scenario hours later._

Kalyle minimized the file. So Bob's son was a savant, someone with powers involving energy. At first, the only people in the Net, even the Web that had powers like this were Web Surfers or Guardians with their key tools. Now Kalyle was actually in a system with a savant, someone whose powers rivaled that of any Surfr or Guardian. But he hadn't actually seen the kid in action yet, but he knew they were already a step ahead of the bugs. He smiled and brought up the file on Sabrina. 

NAME: MATRIX, SABRINA ANDRAIA   
INITIATION DATE: 110001100111   
FATHER: MATRIX, ENZO DAVID, SR.   
MOTHER: MATRIX, ANDRAIA   
SYSTEM: MAINFRAME 

Kalyle wasn't the least bit surprised when he spotted another attached file by Phong on the girl's initiation file. Perhaps this would shed more light on the two Enzo Matrix deal. He opened it and began to read... 

_"It was random, Phong. Totally random."_

_Enzo Matrix, his brother, and sister in law stood talking to Phong inside the Principal Office. It was summer time in the system and young Enzo was home from the Guardian Academy. Recent events. though, seemed to ruin his summer vacation. The virus Megabyte had somehow survived the Web and had come back to terrorize the brothers, but in the end, the power hungry virus had been destroyed and it seemed as though things were returning back to normal._

_Until the three came in to see him._

_They had been at the beach that second, that's what AndrAIa had said and they were casually talking about the events that had happened..._

_"I can't believe he's gone." AndrAIa said, with a shake of her head. "I mean really gone this time."_

_"And it's gonna stay that way." Enzo replied. "Megabreath's gone for good and he's not coming back."_

_"That's certainly a relief. Now all we have to worry about are..."_

_"Game coming, Daddy." Sabrina said, bouncing her doll on her father's chest._

_"Oh, there's a game coming, huh?" Matrix said, winking at AndrAIa._

_"Uh huh."_

_"Where's it landing, Princess?" Enzo asked, going along with the silly games of a 4 hour old._

_"Over there." Sabrina replied, breaking her play only to point over Enzo's shoulder._

_"Gee, that's awfully cute, sweetheart, but..."_

_WARNING: INCOMING GAME! WARNING: INCOMING GAME!_

_The three adults looked over to where the game cube was slowly going to drop, while the small child continued to play with her doll. Slowly, the adults turned their attention back to the little girl._

_"How'd you do that?" They asked._

_Phong stood and listened to the account and then turned to look at the small sprite playing on the floor. "You mean she accurately predicted the game cube's landing area?" the wise sprite asked._

_"Yes!" the three exclaimed. They were just as confused as he was._

_"Phong," Matrix said, kneeling down so he could be eye level with the sprite. "How is that possible?"_

_"Wait," AndrAIa replied, trying to calm her companions down. "Maybe this was a fluke. A lucky guess."_

_"That was an awfully good lucky guess, Dre." Enzo countered._

_"I agree with young Enzo, AndrAIa." Phong replied. "This is extremely interesting. I've never known anyone who could predict the trajectory of a game."_

_"Hey!" Enzo said, snapping his fingers. "I got it! What if it's just something game sprite inherited?"_

_"You mean something only a game sprite could do?" AndrAIa asked._

_"Yeah!"_

_"But how?" the game sprite asked. "And why Sabrina? I can't know where a game's gonna land."_

_"Maybe we can ask another game sprite." Enzo suggested._

_"Hey, good idea Enzo." Matrix muttered sarcastically, standing to face his brother. "Why don't you go now and find another game sprite who's living outside of the games?"_

_Enzo was about to reply when something dawned on him. There were no other game sprites living outside of the games. None that they knew of course. Just AndrAIa. Enzo sighed and a grimace came to his face. He couldn't believe he'd even thought of the idea. Smooth move, Basic!_

_"Figured it out yet, dipswitch?" Matrix asked._

_"Shut up!"_

_"Boys..." AndrAIa warned. After both had calmed down, she turned to Phong again. "So what do we do?" she asked. "What if this isn't just a random case? What if she can really say when games are going to land?"_

_"More importantly," Matrix stressed. "How did she do that?"_

_"I am not sure, my son." Phong replied, once again turning his attention to the little girl. "It seems we have another extraordinary child on our hands." The old sprite rolled away from the trio, who looked at him and each other in confusion._

_"What other extraordinary child?" AndrAIa asked._

_"Who's the extraordinary kid?" Enzo asked._

Kalyle finished reading the first paragraph of the attachment and sat back in his chair. _So, AndrAIa's a game sprite,_ he thought, rubbing his chin. _That would explain the fins and the nails. It would also prove to be very useful._ He continued to read the next paragraph... 

_Phong sat in his office, puzzling over the recent events of late. They were still trying to uncover how Megabyte had re-entered the system from the Web without it showing up on the scanners. How had the evil virus survived in the Web for so long? Bob had only be gone a few minutes, an hour at most and that was only with the help of the Web Riders. How did Megabyte survive?_

_And now, on top of that, young Sabrina Matrix possessed an extraordinary power. Phong wasn't exactly sure how the child could do it, but he was starting to agree with Enzo. Perhaps it was a game sprite power, one that AndrAIa didn't possess. But if so, as the game sprite had asked earlier, why Sabrina? And why couldn't AndrAIa do the same thing? The wise sprite did have a theory though and it ran along the same lines as to why Christopher Lan had some of his father's powers. But so far, he couldn't prove it._

_The system was still inhabited by those refugees from other systems, but not as many still there. But at least they could live life normally, though Phong couldn't really see...maybe it had to do with the fact that Enzo and Matrix were in the system together at the same time, Phong thought, his mind jumping to a different track. The old sprite shook his head. That had nothing to do with anything. Phong was back to square one. He had mentioned once that he lived in a most interesting system. It still held truth._

Kalyle sat back again in his chair. _So Matrix and Enzo were the same sprite?_ he asked himself. That was so...so...so...random! How did they accomplish that? He had learned so much that night. Bob had downloaded his keytool into his own codes, something that was totally prohibited in the Guardian Academy, yet Bob hadn't been reprimanded. And now as a result, his son and probably those twins of his were going to be savants. And AndrAIa...a game sprite living outside of a game! Totally not possible, but apparently was. And now her daughter could predict where a game cube would be landing. This was an odd system to say the least. 

Kalyle smiled. An odd system that was going to aid him in getting rid of the worst threats since Daemon. 

* * * 

The next second, the Mainframe Staff along with Kalyle Daniels met in the command room. With the events of yesterday, top priority was to locate a potential nest in Mainframe. Dot was looking at a map of Mainframe, trying to decide who would go where. Kit and Sabrina sat next to Bob, who was helping Dot with her task. Kalyle smiled at the two children, who didn't return the gesture. The young cadet noticed Kit didn't seem to be his happy self. Kalyle looked at the boy, knowing the power the lad possessed. No amount of harboring could stop the cadet from using that kid as a terminator to this problem. 

"Okay, I think I've figured out how we can go about this." Dot said, bringing everyone to her attention. "This is what we'll do, three teams will go and check two sectors thoroughly and make sure we don't have a problem on our hands. So listen up. Bob, you and Ray will check out G-Prime and Baudway, Matrix, you and Enzo take care of Floating Point Park and the Kits Sector, and Cadet Daniels, you and Hack and Slash will check out Beverly Hills and Wall Street." 

"What're we gonna do, Suge?" Mouse asked, looking at AndrAIa. 

"You two will stay and figure out how that bug got here. Check any unauthorized portals and entries in this last cycle." Dot looked at AndrAIa and then said, "You know what? Change that. Andri, you go with Matrix, Enzo you stay here with Mouse." 

Both Matrix and Enzo were a little surprised, if not slightly angered, at the abrupt switch, but neither said a word. 

"Hey, what about us, Aunt Dot?" Sabrina asked, hoping she could get in some of the action. 

"I think we should stay here and watch our siblings." Kit offered, the first time he had spoken that second. 

"What?" Sabrina asked, shocked. 

"I think we should stay." he repeated. "This is something really big and I think we should stay out of the way." 

"Of all the ridiculous..." Sabrina huffed, throwing her hands in the air. "You're just being a basic little baby and..." 

"I am not a basic little baby!" Kit exclaimed, bolting from his chair. 

"Don't yell at me!" Sabrina shot back, also standing and challenging her cousin. 

"Hey, stay frosty, you guys." Bob replied, trying to keep the two from blowing up at each other. 

"Sabrina, you're with me." Dot said. 

Sabrina smirked at her cousin, who was still fuming. Phong rolled over and put his hand on Kit's shoulder. "Come, Christopher." the wise sprite said, squeezing the boy's shoulder. "You shall help me with some tasks I must complete." Kit stared at Sabrina for a nano, before turning to Phong. With a last look to his cousin, he said, "Yes, Phong." The two headed for the door. 

"Well?" Dot asked, looking at the group in front of her. "Didn't I give you something to do?" 

"We're on the clock, Lovely Lady." Ray grinned, grabbing his baud and leaving with the rest. 

"Come on, Enzo, darlin'." Mouse said, pulling Enzo along to a console. "We've got work to do." 

"So do we, Sabrina." Dot replied, grabbing her organizer and heading for the door. The girl had to run in order to catch the young leader, wondering what her aunt wanted her for. 

* * * 

Bob and Ray flew along the streets of Baudway, heading towards G-Prime. The sector looked desolate since the destruction of Megabyte's Silicon Tor. Phong and Dot had both been saying for hours how they wanted to build a memorial for those lost in the tragic events of Megaframe, but then the system was thrust back into a war. Then they wanted a memorial for the Daemon War, but with all the activity in helping devastated systems, the plans were moved back. Bob was starting to wonder if anything would ever be there. 

The two set down where the Tor used to stand and looked around. From the ground, the sector seemed much bigger without the Tor's presence. There were still businesses as well as apartments in the sector, but after hours of having the Tor's dominance, it was always still a surprise. "Let's check the alleyways first, mate." Ray replied, bringing Bob from his thoughts. The guardian nodded and followed the surfer towards an ally. 

"Hey Guardian," Ray asked, as they searched for anything suspicious. "Whadda think of the Daniels lad?" 

"In general?" Bob asked, using his Glitch powers to detect any bugs in the area. 

"Well...as a guardian, for example." 

"As a guardian, I'd say he's shaping up to be a good guardian for a system some second." Bob replied, peering into a small hole in a nearby wall. "He's determined, I'll say that, but I also think he's a bit zealous and acts too quickly. I think he's looking out for number one and not those that surround him. That could be a problem later on." 

"Okay." Ray said, also searching along the walls. "Now as Bob, resident of Mainframe." 

Bob stopped his search and looked at his friend. "As Bob, resident of Mainframe, husband and father, I'd say he was trouble. This new attention he wants to lavish on my son and niece is a tad bit disturbing." 

"You don't he knows about...you know." Ray suggested, looking up at Bob. 

Bob sighed. "I don't know, Surfr." he said, after thinking about the question. "I hope he doesn't. If he ever found out, I don't think he'd keep this to himself. And worse, I'd think he'd use it to his advantage." The two were quiet for a while, before Bob asked, "Why'd you ask?" 

"Because I had a feeling you'd say that." the surfer replied, grimly. "Mouse and I feel the same, mate. There's something about him that's not settling right with us." 

"How so?" Bob asked, intrigued that the hacker and surfer had reason to doubt the rookie guardian. 

"For both of us, we think he's too noisy." Ray said. "Always asking questions that he shouldn't. I'll give him the point that he wants to get rid of his buggy problem, but needing to know what happened in the Twin City and the thing with the kids...no need to know that." 

"I agree." Bob said. "That could lead to a downfall." 

"His or ours?" Ray asked. 

"That I haven't figured out yet." 

* * * 

"I can't believe I'm stuck here." 

Enzo had been complaining ever since Dot left with Sabrina. Mouse just continued her work and listened to her partner rant and rave about his sister. 

"Did she mysteriously forget I'm a guardian now?" Enzo muttered, typing away. "Nothing in Baudway, Mouse." he said, checking his screen. "I mean, what was she thinking? I don't see why she had to change the teams all of a sudden." 

"Enzo, honey, are you going to blab all through this thing?" Mouse asked, sarcastically, never taking her eyes away from her console. "Cause if you are, I'm going to chop your lips off." Enzo looked at her with an evil glare. 

"I'm glad you see things from my point of view." 

Mouse stopped typing and looked at Enzo. "Now Sugah, you know I'm on your side." she said, leaning back in her chair. "But I'm also loyal to your sister and brother. I'm just trying to find out how to get you three talking to each other again." 

Enzo sighed. "It's not that easy, Mouse." he said, looking away. "There are just some things we tend to disagree on." 

"LIke your daddy and his experiments?" The hacker asked, knowingly. 

"You don't understand, Mouse." the young guardian said, closing his eyes. "Dot's looking at this from a totally different point of view than Matrix and I are. She doesn't understand why. I can't blame her for that." 

"Well Enzo, darlin', I think you should talk to your sister." 

"I can't, Mouse." he said, going back to his work. "Not until this thing is over." 

Mouse rolled her eyes and put her hands behind her head. Enzo continued his work, before he stopped and looked at Mouse. "Hey Mouse..." 

"Hmmm?" 

"You know, the only illegal entry came from when Cadet Daniels came through that portal." he said. Mouse opened her eyes and turned to look at Enzo. 

"You don't think...?" she asked, but was stopped by Enzo. 

"Maybe not on purpose, but..." 

The two immediately jumped up to start looking into the thought. Could the sprite that had come to help inadvertently brought the enemy to Mainframe? 

* * * 

Hack and Slash weren't exactly the most discrete robots in the Net. To the residents of Mainframe, it was an annoying habit, but they knew the bots meant well. To Kalyle Daniels, it was annoying, yes, and dangerous. The last thing he wanted was to cause alarm in the system. The trio were now searching through the Beverly Hills sector, the two rambling bots waved and spoke candidly to passerbys, much to Kalyle's annoyance and horror. 

Sending the two bots on a hunt through Beverly Hills, Kalyle took this opportunity to call in to Turbo. Pulling out his organizer, he quickly got into contact with the semi-retired Prime. The Prime Guardian sat at his desk, reading over the recon report he had gotten from Cadet Hewlett when KD appeared in front of him. 

"Yes, Cadet Daniels." 

"Sir, we've got a problem." Kalyle replied, rubbing the back of his neck. 

"Is Mainframe in trouble?" Turbo asked, instantly worried. "Is Bob all right?" 

_Are you okay, Cadet?_ Kalyle thought, his irritation rising again. "So far, things are all right, but not for long." he said. Turbo looked at the lad in confusion, a look of worry also coming to his face. "Yesterday we got a bug." 

"Oh no." Turbo whispered, his thoughts immediately focusing on how he would help combat against a new threat to the friendly system. 

"I don't know how it got here, but we're combing the system looking for a nest." 

"And have you found one?" The Prime asked urgently. 

"Not yet." Kalyle replied. "I don't know about the other teams, but I still have one more sector to go through." 

Turbo sighed and shook his head. He had already brought not one, but two wars to the little system. He didn't want to be responsible for another one as well. "Be thorough, Cadet." he said, looking at the young sprite that stood before him. "I want to make sure nothing happens to that system. I've already caused them enough pain." The Prime was silent before resuming his speech. "I want a report if anything else comes up." 

"Yes, sir. Daniels out, sir." 

Kalyle closed his window as well as his organizer. "Make sure nothing happens to that system." he mocked, rolling his eyes. He could tell now why this system was so special, but what he didn't understand was why Turbo hadn't used that to his advantage. A savant, a game sprite, and a kid who could predict the game cubes was special indeed and very useful to the Net. So why hadn't the Prime said anything? Kalyle couldn't understand the loyalties some sprites had. He was loyal to himself and that's all he needed. 

"Hey, there little friend." said Slash. 

"Yes, hello." replied Hack. 

"Did you guys find anything?" Kalyle asked, already retaining his headache from an earlier discussion with the two. 

"Nope." 

"No." 

"We didn't find a thing." 

"A thing we didn't find." 

"Though we did see a lot of trees." 

"Yeah. There are many trees in Beverly Hills." 

"In all of Mainframe." 

"Okay, okay." Kalyle sighed in frustration. "I get the point. You didn't find anything. Nothing new there. Come on, we still have the other sector to check and I still want to check the Principal Office." 

"Why is that?" asked Hack. 

"Yes, why?" echoed Slash. 

"Because that bug got in somehow and I say the Principal Office is the best bet." 

The three headed off towards Wall Street, Hack and Slash gibbering about why Wall Street is called Wall Street when no street in the sector was called Wall. Kalyle, trying to block out the ridiculous conversation, concentrated on getting back to the P.O. They needed to do a scan of the building, just in case. 

* * * 

"So you're saying Cadet Daniels brought the bug with him??" 

Enzo and Mouse had waited until Bob and Ray came back before they told Dot their suspicions. "We're not sayin' he did it on purpose, Dot." Mouse drawled, leaning against the chair that sat in front of her. "We're just saying the only illegal entry came from him. Not unless those buggies are smart and can work magic on the portals, that's what we came up with." 

"Great." Dot muttered sarcastically. "So our savior is really our ticket to an infestation. That's just great." 

"Dot, we didn't say it was true." Enzo defended. "We just said it made sense, that's all. That bug could've come from anywhere." 

"Not likely." Ray replied. "Bugs just don't pop up from out of the data stream." 

"Look, let's not argue." Dot replied, wearily. "I think we've had enough arguments, don't you?" Dot made a passing glance at Enzo, who sighed and looked away. "The most important thing is figure this out. Let's say the bug did come in through the portal Daniels did. How? Why didn't the sensors catch it? If the bug _didn't_ come in with Daniels, how did it get here?" 

"And how many more, if any, could there be?" Bob asked, drawing a stunned silence from his company. 

* * * 

After the short meeting, Bob found himself on the way to Lost Angles. He had been wondering why Dot hadn't added the residence of their registered virus. That was because she was saving it especially for him. Despite the fact that Hexadecimal had been a help after the restart and even during the Daemon battle, only few sprites felt comfortable and even brave enough to face Hex. Two being Bob and AndrAIa. The rest of the Mainframe staff avoided the ex-virus whenever possible. And seeing as Bob _had_ been the first one back... 

Bob zipped over to Hexadecimal's, so used to doing things the old fashion way. It would have been easy to just portal over there [he always got lost in Lost Angles], but Bob wasn't the kind of guy to over use a specialty. Sure, when he first got the Glitch powers, he'd portal everywhere. But it got tiring after while and Bob wanted to return to being a normal sprite. His time in the Web had changed him significantly and he just wanted things to be the way they were. That was impossible of course, but it still would have been nice. But, as always, the pros outweighed the cons. If things were back they way they were, he and Dot wouldn't be married and certainly wouldn't have any children. Megabyte would be back and Hex would be the loopy, random, chaotic virus she had been before. Some things needed to take place in order for others to happen. 

Bob zipped around the misshapen buildings and structures. It was hard to believe this was all that was left of the Twin City, a city when in its second had been beautiful and full of life. Maybe this was why the Matrixes usually never came near here. Too many memories, perhaps? Bob looked around, somewhat in awe, but another feeling accompanying it. As many times as he had been in Hex's lair...Bob shook his head. 

He was lost. Again. 

Bob stopped in a clearing, near a large tower. "I'm always getting lost out here." he muttered to himself, shaking his head. He looked around once more and thought about heading back to the P.O. when the ground opened suddenly and he was pulled inside it. He stopped himself with an energy blast and landed quickly on the tiled floor. "Well, here it is." he told himself. "I knew I'd find it eventually." 

"So did I, Bob," a voice said from behind him. 

Bob turned slightly to see the figure coming towards him. "Hello, Hex." he said, cordially, giving the ex-virus a smile. 

Hexadecimal hadn't changed much. She was still a beautiful virus...err...sprite. Still a little chaotic at times, but with her masks now being whole, she seemed calmer most of the time. "Hello, Guardian." she cooed, walking past Bob to a table that suddenly appeared before them. Hex took a seat in one of the chairs and offered the other to Bob. "It's so rare I get visitors." the ex-virus continued, pouring tea into a white cup. "Especially you, Bob. I know the wife and kids tend to keep you busy." 

Bob smiled, like he always did when in Hex's presence. He excepted the cup offered to him and brought it to his mouth, stopping to ask, "You wouldn't have poisoned this tea, would you, Hex?" 

"Now, Bob, you know I've given up poison." Hex replied, leaning back in her chair. "Blasting is so much more efficient." The sprite took a sip of her tea. "I know this isn't a social call, Guardian. State your business." 

"To the point, as always." Bob said, setting the cup down and leaning forward. "We have a slight problem, Hex, that I hope you'll be able to help us with." 

"Oh yes, of course." the ex-virus muttered, sarcastically. "Whenever there's trouble, call on ole Hexadecimal. Is that how that works, Bob?" 

"If you're going to be difficult, Hex..." Bob started, rising from his chair. 

"No, Bob, wait." Bob lowered himself back down and folded his arms across his chest. "What's the problem?" 

"Bugs." Bob said, solemnly. Seeing the confused look on her face, Bob continued. "Perhaps I should rephrase that. There's only one bug that we've taken care of, but just to make sure..." 

"Dot has you checking all of Mainframe?" Hexadecimal finished, receiving her answer via Bob's nod. "And you think I'm responsible?" 

"On the contrary. I said we needed your help. I need to make sure Lost Angles is safe." 

"So why didn't your wife, the all mighty Command.Com, come and ask me?" Hex prodded, a wicked smile on her lips. 

Bob sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "There's a reason, Hex, but I'm not sure if..." 

"Oh, don't worry, Bob." she replied, waving a dismissive hand in front of him. "I know the whole story." It was Bob's turn to be confused, as well as surprised. "I live in their former home. I may live outside of Mainframe, Bob my love, but I do have my sources. Namely that lovely game sprite." Bob nodded, understanding the who, but as to the why he's have to ask later. "And quite frankly, I don't blame them. Losing their parents and all. I too once lost a family member, you know. Sad really. You know, in some ironic way, I should be mad at the Matrixes as well. Destroying my brother like that. Not once, but twice!" She gave a loud cackle, throwing her head back in amusement. After she calmed down a bit, she looked at Bob. "I shall look for anything unusual, Guardian." she said. "And I shall give you a report." 

"Thanks, Hex." Bob said, once again rising from his chair. "I do want to apologize, for Dot and Enzo and Matrix...for not coming." 

Hexadecimal again waved him off. "Understandable, I'm sure." Her sentence seemed sincere, but the tone told Bob she was anything but. 

"I'll let myself out." Bob replied, opening a portal and stepping through. He found himself outside in Lost Angles, amist the ruined buildings and towers. Figuring he had done all he could, he pulled out his zip board and headed for the Principal Office. 

* * * 

"Now, wait a nano! Wait just one nano!" 

Mouse watched the scene from her regular chair at the table. No sooner had Cadet Daniels walked in when Enzo slammed him with their suspicions. Now, Mouse didn't have a soft spot for the cadet kid either, but the tension between him and Enzo rivaled that of hers and Dot's some hours ago. Mouse just sat and watched, smiled and winked at Matrix, AndrAIa, and Bob has they came in from their various searches. And the hacker just shrugged when AndrAIa had given her a quizzical look about the argument. 

"I'm not saying you did it on purpose." Enzo restated. "I'm just saying that somehow that bug got here through you." 

"Didn't it ever occur to you that the bug was already here?" Kalyle shot back. "Perhaps Mainframe's already infested and you all don't know it." 

"Believe me, Sugah, no one gets in this system without my say so." Mouse said, speaking for the first time. "I'm that good." 

"No doubt." Kalyle replied, remembering how hard his nightly task had been. 

Suddenly, Phong whirled in, panicked and out of breath. "Whoa, Phong! Slow down there, speedy!" Sabrina exclaimed, jumping out of the oncoming sprite's way. 

"I am sorry to interrupt, my children." he huffed, trying to slow his breathing. 

"Believe me, Phong, this is one time I'm happy for the interruption." Dot sighed, leaning her head against her hand. "What's the problem?" 

"I have just received a message from Turbo." Instantly, all ears in the room picked up. "Specky is putting it through now." 

Moments later, a vidwindow popped up with the worried face of Turbo facing them. "Sorry to spring up like this." The Prime Guardian replied, giving the group a slight smile. He hadn't seen these sprites since during the Daemon War, but he recognized the majority. He looked proudly upon his pupil 452 and upon his pupils, the Matrix boys. He received the expected icy stare from Mouse. That woman would always hold a grudge, he decided. The children he didn't know, but he could tell the boy was Bob's and the girl was Matrix's. She looked like her mother, but those were definitely her father's eyes. 

"Something wrong?" Mouse asked, suspiciously. 

"Yes." Turbo replied, ignoring the look and tone of Mouse's question. "We have a problem in the system of Turic. And I do mean a big problem. I hate to impose, but..." 

"You want us to come to the rescue." replied a voice. The room knew immediately who it was. 

"Who was that?" Turbo asked, peering around the room for the mysterious voice. 

"It's just Hexadecimal." Matrix said. "You were saying?" 

"Your registered virus?" Turbo continued. "I wasn't aware she was still in the system." 

"Yes, I am." the ex-virus replied, still not making her presence known. "But I could be there with a wave of my hand." 

"Hex..." Dot warned. 

"Well...anyways..." Turbo continued, unconsciously checking around his office for anything odd. "As I was saying, Turic is now on the infested list. I was hoping you could spare any antitoxin." 

"Of course." Dot responded. "I'll get our boys in the lab to hurry it up a bit, but they'll definitely have some if needed." 

"That's certainly good to hear." The P.G. replied. "But there's a certain condition to all of this." 

"I knew it." Mouse muttered under her breath. 

"And that is?" Enzo asked. 

"I need Cadet Daniels back." 

"Done!" exclaimed Mouse, Kit, Sabrina, Enzo, and Matrix in unison. 

"I know my leaving is going to hurt you all, but try to control yourself." Kalyle answered, sarcastically. 

"He can't go alone, Turbo." Bob said, ignoring the looks he got. 

"Bob's right." Dot said. "If Turic is really over run, he'll need help. And I'm not about to send one of my people out there without some back up." 

"All right. The decision is yours, Miss Matrix." Turbo replied. "I'll leave the co-ordinates of Turic with one of your staff. Turbo out." 

Before the vidwindow had even minimized, Dot's processor was going a mile a microsecond. She wanted a small group of people to accompany Kalyle on his journey, as well as bring needed supplies to the system of Turic. In an instant, she knew who would go and who would stay. "Okay, I got a plan." 

"That's a definite good sign." AndrAIa joked. 

"All those that want to go, raise their hands." Everyone but Phong did so. "Now, wait a nano." Dot replied, looking at the sea of hands before her. "We all can't go. Look, here's what I say. Bob, Enzo, Matrix, AndrAIa, and I will go." Dot put up her hands as seven buts came her way. "Don't try and talk me out of it. I'm going." The seven sprites stopped their protests. Once Dot got something in her head to do, she was going to do it. 

"You know, Aunt Dot, that's a great plan." Sabrina said, smiling up at her. 

"Thank you, Sweetie." 

"So, I hate to be a virus, no offense Hex..." 

"None taken." Hexadecimal replied, appearing next to Mouse, who gave the ex-virus a look, but said nothing. 

"I hate to be a virus, but what exactly happens to us?" Sabrina continued, motioning to herself and Kit. 

Dot opened her mouth to say something and then stopped. Good question, she thought. "They could always come with us." Kalyle offered, smiling sweetly at the commander. Dot returned the smile and with a bit of sarcasm replied, 

"I don't think so." Dot thought for a few more micros before snapping her fingers. "Mouse and Ray will look after you." 

"It'll give them some practice." AndrAIa whispered, invoking a smile from Bob. 

"I don't think you should go, Dot..." Bob replied, trying one last time to change her mind. 

"I think Dot has a point." Hex said. "Some have to go and some must stay. And out of the goodness of my heart, I will volunteer to stay." 

"Gee, Hex," Enzo said, smirking. "Miss an adventure with big, disgusting bugs for little ole us? You're too kind." 

Hex understood the implication and smiled. "Yes." she said. "I know." 

"Look, we have a plan." Dot reminded everyone. "Let's not detour from the plan. Now, all we do is check on that antitoxin and then get ready to go in the morning. You know...I think Gavin's in town. Maybe we can persuade him to let us use his ship..." Dot's voice trailed off as she thought about it. 

"My sister." Matrix said. "A proverbial library of plans." Dot swatted his arm as she left. 

* * * 

Kit figured he had everything he needed for this trip. Sure, he wasn't supposed to be going, but his entire family was leaving to face a horde of evil and ugly looking bugs. He couldn't just sit there and let something bad happen. Besides, he could be of some help and he did want to know why that Kalyle guy liked him so much. And he had a plan. With everyone on the docks saying goodbye, he would easily slip on deck and be aboard before anyone became suspicious. But he'd have to hurry. They had made a last stop to the P.O. for supplies before they left and Kit knew it wouldn't take long before his mom had everything underway. With a final look around, he headed into the hallway... 

...and ran smack dab into Sabrina. 

"And where do you think you're going?" his cousin asked, eyeing the boy suspiciously. 

"Sabrina, don't try and talk me out of this." Kit protested. "I'm going and that's final." 

Sabrina shook in her head in amusement. "Your mom is not going to like this." she said. "And I certainly would hate to be the one to tell her..." 

"But you won't." Kit said, taking a step towards her. 

"When did we do a role reversal here?" Bri asked. "Aren't I supposed to be the head strong one? The one who leaps before I look?" 

"Look, Bri, I know you and I know you've been reading up on this bug thing." When she didn't respond, Kit continued. "Is what Ray said true? That the queen takes all the energy from the core?" 

Sabrina looked at her cousin for a while, not wanting to lie to him. "Now, Chris, you know I would never lie to you," she started. "So I'm going to tell you straight out." She paused before saying, "Yes. It's absolutely true. Ray was absolutely right." Kit stared at her for a while, not saying anything. He trusted Sabrina and she would never lie to him on purpose. "You're lying." he stated, his look never wavering. Sabrina looked at him in surprise. He was doubting her? 

"Boy, but you're good." she said after a while, amazed that he knew her that well. 

"So what does the queen do?" 

"It's bad, Chris." she said. "Very, very bad. I'd rather not go into details, but queens do tend to take a liking to...well...Command.Coms and well..." 

"I knew it." The boy said, pushing past Sabrina and continuing down the hallway. 

"Kit!" Sabrina called after him, trying to keep up. She finally got a hold of his arm and stopped him. "Kit, they aren't staying long." she said. "If anyone's got to worry, it's Cadet Daniels. He's gotta stay." 

"What about my mom, Bri?" Kit asked. "What exactly does the queen do to a command.com?" 

"That I don't know." Kit gave her a look. "Honest! I do know it does involve the core energy, but that's it. Promise!" The two were quiet for a bit before Sabrina asked, "What're you planning on doing if you get caught?" 

"Well...Dad'll probably zap me back here." the boy admitted. "I just need to make sure everyone's okay, you know? Promise me you're not gonna say anything about this, Bri." 

"You know I would never rat anyone out." she replied. "But man, our parents are going to have our bitmaps in a sling if anything goes wrong." 

"Look, if we go in and get out, no one will be the wiser, right?" 

Sabrina nodded relunctantly, as Kit kissed her cheek and gave her a slight hug. "Don't go losing any games while I'm gone." the boy joked. 

"Like that'll happen." the girl said, rolling her eyes. Kit waved a last goodbye and continued down the hallway to the door of the Principal Office.   


  


**Chapter 7 - You Are Now Entering Turic**

A large ship soars by in the deep Energy Sea. Three mast heads adorned the front of the ship, of three familiar sprites to be exact. The Saucy Wench sailed out of Mainframe's docks, heading towards their destination. At the helm stood Dot and a small one binome. "It was nice of you to take us out to the system of Turic, Gavin." Dot was saying. "I know you don't exactly have the best of luck with your ships when we're around." 

"Nonsense!" Captain Capacitor exclaimed. "The crew and I would do anything for ye. Wouldn't we, boys?" Exclaimations and cheers went from the crew, causing Dot to laugh. "Besides, ye should know by now. Whatever Mainframe goes through, The Crimson Binome and his crew go through too." The binome removed his hat and bowed before Dot. 

"Well, thank you, Gavin." Dot replied. "I can't begin to tell you what you and the crew have done for us already." 

"Consider it part of our business deal and friendship, Dot my love." 

Below on deck, Matrix, Enzo, and AndrAIa stood looking out at the waters of Mainframe before the ship entered their first portal. Enzo had seen the Net before, while he had been at the Academy and even a little during the Daemon War, but it always amazed him. It was so beautiful, the vibriant colors and hues that lined their view was breath taking. The only thing that rivaled it, or so he had heard from Ray, was the Web. Unfortunately, Bob didn't exactly feel the same way, avoiding the mention of the place at all cost. But for now, Enzo was content standing by the siderail, looking out at the beauty that met him. 

Somewhere below decks, in the cabin hold, a lone figure sat behind a barrel. He wanted to see what was going on, but for obvious reasons, couldn't exactly do that. He had heard how beautiful the Net was and had been promised one second he would see it, though he was sure this wasn't exactly what his parents had in mind... 

A low growling noise interrupted the boy's train of thought and he slowly turned to see what had made it. 

"Frisket!" Kit whispered, hugging the red and yellow dog and scratching it behind the ears. "What're you doing here? Probably wondering what I'm doing here, huh? Protecting Mom and the boys, huh? If I had known that, I wouldn't bothered coming." 

The feral dog wagged it's tail and licked Kit about the face. Frisket just wasn't a dog, he was a member of the family, protecting everyone in his little circle, especially the Matrixes. He had been Matrix's dog and had survived with him and AndrAIa game hopping. He had kept a watchful eye on both Matrix and Enzo after the restart, slightly confused as to why his young master had appeared again and how his much bigger master were co-existing. But to Frisket, it didn't matter. He would just have more people to look out for. And when Kit and Sabrina came along, he became a babysitter. Not that he minded of course. They were his babies, too. No one dared go near the dog if he thought they posed a threat to his family. 

"Okay, boy, down. Down." Kit whispered. "Look, you can't let anyone know I'm here, okay? I wanna make sure Mom and Dad are alright. But then again, with you around, they should be, huh?" The boy once again hugged the dog and watched as it bounded up the stairs to the upper deck. 

Kit looked around once more and stood up from his hiding place. He did some stretching to get some of the aches out and looked up the stairs to see if anyone was coming. He certainly couldn't stay down here forever. It was bad enough he didn't have breakfast. Now he was getting hungry. 

"All right, Christopher, ol' boy," he murmured to himself. "Now what do you do?" 

* * * 

Kalyle walked down the corridor of the cabins below deck. His visit to Mainframe was getting stranger and stranger by the nano. First, the system had enlisted the help of a wanted hacker and a web surfer. Next, the system had not one, not two, but three guardians! Then, for some strange reason, the Mainframe staff seem to be the only sprites in town (this Kalyle noted was being very odd indeed). And those kids! A savant and a kid who could predict game landings. And now this. They were travelling on the ship owned by wanted software pirates, who just happen to be the business partners of the Command.Com. 

Go figure. 

The young cadet had never been in a system like this before. Phong had told him earlier they were "special". Yeah, special didn't even cover it. With them aiding and abetting wanted fugitives, he'd been playing with the idea of turning the felons in. But after he got rid of this bug problem. He had been giving a lot of thought to that and he really wished Dot had let that son of hers come along. That kid could've been useful, he thought, absently walking the long hallway. He was thinking to the point he didn't even see the very larger than life one binome standing in front of him. 

"Oh!" he exclaimed, bumping into the person in his way. "I didn't...see...you..." Kalyle looked up and saw the second biggest binome he'd ever seen. 

"That okay." replied Princess Bula. "Just watch for next time." The gorgeous giant than turned and walked away, leaving a very stunned Kalyle standing in the middle of the corridor. 

"Maybe I need to get out more." Kalyle muttered to himself, turning the knob to his cabin. Movement from the corner of his eye, though stopped him. He looked down the hall and saw the small figure he hoped he would see again. "This is going to be an enjoyable ride." he smiled, going inside his room. 

* * * 

Kit quickly darted behind his barrel when he saw Princess Bula coming his way. After she passed, he peeked from his hiding place. That was too close, he thought, sitting back down. Running a hand absently over his stomach, he made a decision. 

He was really hungry! 

But how was he going to get food if it meant he'd be found out? "C'mon Lan!" he muttered. "You're a resourceful boy. Surely you can find food without anyone finding you." He rested his head on his barrel and thought. He was Dot's kid. Of course he could come up with something! Shaking his head, he tried to come up with a brilliant plan that would save him from starving and keep his presence on board a secret...and wasn't having any luck. A glance at the barrel caused him to look carefully at the writing. Almost in disbelief, he dared to stand up and look inside. 

Looking upward, he whispered, "Thank you." 

A short time later, Kit had eaten about six applets from the barrel he'd been hiding behind. He couldn't believe his good fortune. After thinking of every combination possible, he had quickly run out of ideas to aid in his survival on board. And then he saw the writing on the barrel. In big, bold letters stating "APPLETS" jumped out at him and indeed, when he looked inside the barrel, there were glorious piles of applets, just waiting to be eaten. And eat he did. He was finishing off his seventh, smiling at the best time he was going to have when something grabbed his shirt and hoisted him upwards. 

"Um...hey there, Princess." 

* * * 

The group of sprites and binomes sat around a large wooden table in the dinning hall. It was the only place where the crew and the staff could meet without being too cramped. Capacitor sat at the head, his large red hat sitting on the table beside him. Dot and Bob sat on his left, while Matrix, AndrAIa, and Enzo sat on his right. The group had been discussing possible ways of delivering the anitoxin and getting out, but there was a special weapon they were missing. 

Cadet Daniels hadn't shown up for the meeting. 

Gavin had sent Princess Bula down to fetch him and when she came back, she had a surprise in her large hand. "Found stowaway." she pronounced, holding Kit up by his shirt. The boy gave a weak smile, hoping the looks he was getting would soon leave the faces of those looking at him. 

"Hey everybody." he laughed, nervously. "What's processing?" When his nervous, but cheerful manner didn't get any response, he thought he should tell the whole truth and it would only take him a nano to make it up. "I can see from the looks you're giving me, perhaps I should explain how I got into this current situation." he said, his mind quickly thinking of an easy escape. "You see...I...I was coming to say goodbye, right? And...I couldn't find you guys. And I looked and looked and...couldn't find you. And just when I was going to leave...the ship left. I tried to jump and swim back, but...um...I was too far away. And so...uh...there you have it." He finished the story with a confident smile. _Boy, they don't look too happy,_ he thought, gulping. 

"Ye fate isn't up to me, Lad." Gavin replied, looking around at the sprites. 

"It is written, Captain, on what to do with stowaways." Enzo mentioned, winking at Dot. 

"You let them go on their merry way with a strict warning?" Kit asked, hopefully. 

"They walk the plank." Matrix said. 

Kit immediately started laughing. They couldn't be serious! "No...no..." he sputtered, trying to regain his composure. "Really." 

"We're really serious." Enzo said, nodding at the boy's look. This made Kit laugh harder. 

"No...no seriously." 

"We're really serious." Matrix replied. "They really walk the plank." 

"Mom..." Kit giggled, still unsure of his current circumstance. "Talk to your brothers. They're talking crazy talk." 

Dot shrugged, doing her best to remain calm. "I'm sorry, Christopher." she said, shaking her head. "If that's the rule..." 

"Oh, come on!" The boy's laughter suddenly becoming nervous. "You're not serious." 

"Those are the rules, Christopher, me boy." Capacitor added, walking around the table. "I'm afraid it's the plank for ye." 

Princess Bula hauled the boy out of the dinning hall, exclaiming, "You're not serious. You can not be serious!" Capacitor brought up a vidwindow to Mr. Andrew, who was currently at the helm. "Mr. Andrew, get the plank. We've got someone to walk it." 

A short time later, the crew and the sprites aboard, minus one, stood at the ship's railing. They were still travelling the Net, colors all around them. Kit would've been in awe of it all, if he hadn't been dreading this very moment. His hands were tied in front of him and he stood atop of a long wooden plank that hung out over the side of the ship. 

"Okay, you guys are _really_ starting to freak me out here." Kit laughed, nervously. "I've learned my lesson, I really have. And I tell you what. I won't be doing this again." 

"I bet." Enzo replied. "You won't be coming back after this." 

"Okay, listen," Kit pleaded, humor still in his voice. They really couldn't be serious about this. "Joke's over now. I really have learned my lesson. You guys really aren't serious about this." 

"Sorry, Kiddo." Matrix said, shaking his head sadly. "Rules are the rules. You're a stowaway. Stowaways walk the plank. Therefore..." 

"I walk the plank." Kit replied, sarcastically. "Okay. Fine. Fine! I'll walk the plank, but you know what? I'm not gonna enjoy it. Nope. I'm not gonna enjoy it at all. Just to spite you." Kit took a few steps forward and stopped. "Hey, if any of you feel the need to stop me from leaping into _impending doom_, please do not hesitate to act!" Kit looked back at the binomes and sprites currently staring at him. "I certainly _wouldn't_ stop you!" Kit took a few more steps forward, looking at the complete, but very beautiful, emptiness that awaited him. 

"I don't know about you, but I can't bear to watch." AndrAIa replied, reaching over and grabbing something from the side. 

"HA!" Kit exclaimed, a huge smile coming to his face. "I knew you all wouldn't go through with this! I knew someone was going to save me." He beemed when he saw his aunt walking towards him. "And that person is AndrAIa. I've always liked you, AndrAIa. I knew that if someone was going to save me, it was going to be you. And you know...what...what're you doing?" 

AndrAIa quickly pulled a blindfold over the boy's eyes and tied it tightly behind his head. "What are you doing?" he asked, incredulously. 

"I can't let you watch as those sharks eat you." she said, tightening the blindfold. "Besides, I can't bear to hear a boy screaming." she said, softly kissing his cheek. 

"Well, how do you feel about an adolescent crying?!" he exclaimed, still hoping this was a really scary joke. 

"It was nice knowin' ya." Matrix replied, giving the boy one last pat on the back. 

"Yeah, thanks a lot." the boy said, his sardonicism bringing a smile to his father's face. "And I hope you all are so understanding when I come back and haunt you in your dreams!" 

"Man, are you gonna talk all second or are you gonna walk that plank?" Enzo asked. "We really do have other things to do." 

Kit gulped and put on a brave face, but man was he scared! He knew he'd be punished, but this was ridiculous! He walked to the edge of the board, vainly holding on to the only object that was going to save him from the void that awaited him below. He was still hoping...wishing... _praying!_...that someone would say that was enough. Joke over. Punishment exacted. But none of that came. Taking a deep breath, he took the leap... 

Kit hit something soft, but as soon as he did, he was shocked. "AGH!" he screamed, thrashing around in the net that caught him. "It's the sharks! It's the sharks!" He was screaming and squirming so much, he didn't realize he was being lifted back on board the Wench. 

"Will you calm down?" came a laugh. He instantly recognized it as his mother's. He stopped moving, listening to the sounds around him. 

"Am I deleted?" he asked. 

"No, but I have a feeling you're going to be." AndrAIa remarked, glancing at Dot and Bob. 

His hands now free, Kit quickly removed the blindfold and looked about. He was on his back, staring up at the very people he had seen before taking the plunge. He chuckled slightly, saying, "I knew you guys weren't serious." His joking aside, a serious look came to his face. "You really shouldn't do that, you know." he said. "Making a kid walk the plank." 

"Well, you shouldn't be stowing away on pirate ships." Enzo retorted. 

"Touché." 

Bob reached out a hand and helped Kit to his feet. "We're going to have a long talk about stuff, aren't we, Chris?" he said, his blue face taking a stern look. Kit merely nodded. "Come on." Bob said, putting an arm around his son. "Maybe I can save you from your mother." 

"All right, lads!" Capacitor yelled, causing binomes to jump at his command. "Playtime's over! We have a system to get to! Man those sails! Mr. Andrew, Miss Sally, to the helm! Mr. Christopher, where are ye?" 

* * * 

Kalyle lay on his bunk, staring up at the mattress above him. He had tried to get his own room, but that binome captain said he didn't want any wasted cabins. "Besides," Bob had told him. "What would be the point of having a bunk buddy?" Kalyle smirked at the memory. The big, bad guardian wasn't joking now, in light his own wife had said they probably shouldn't bunk together. That had actually given the cadet a laugh. The first bunking list had been done by Bob and Matrix and was quickly thrown out by Dot. The next list had Bob and Matrix in one cabin, Dot and AndrAIa in one cabin, Enzo sharing with some binome, and he was partnered with the boy, Kit. 

Needless to say, that list too had been scrapped, much to Kalyle's disappointment. 

Another list just changed Enzo, Kit, and KD around so he and Enzo were roomies. That didn't sit well with either young guardian. So, it was changed again, this time to everyone's liking. Bob and Kit were now "bunk buddies", Matrix and Enzo in one cabin, Dot and AndrAIa were still togther, and that left Kalyle with the binome. The cadet wasn't trilled, but he figured his chance was coming. As soon as they reached Turic, he'd be able to scout the system and find a nest if any. 

The closer they got, the more fear entered his heart. 

There were still many unanswered questions that plagued his processor, mainly those that involved the sprites on board, but as the ship neared Turic, his main reasons for coming were clear. To search and destroy. Turbo hadn't said much about Turic, just that it was infested and needed help. Kalyle had seen a lot of systems that were infested, some coping well with little problems, others nearly offlined. He had learned early on bugs were the enemy and must be stopped. He just hoped this new infested system was in pretty good shape. 

KD's mind started to wander aimlessly, going back and forth between questions. The arrival of the boy was unexpected for his family, but very welcomed for himself. He thought Bob and Dot were holding the boy back, keeping him from using his powers like a true savant. He noticed Bob wasn't using his powers either, at least not all that much. He'd been blessed to see the Guardian open a portal, thanks to a tear. Normally, it wouldn't have been anything. Any keytool could do that. But this was a guardian who had downloaded the keytool into his own codes. Kalyle still didn't know why, either. That he had to find out. 

That brought him to the two Enzo Matrix deal. After learning what he had, he had caught himself staring at both, whether they were together or alone, trying to figure out how such a thing could occur. One had to be a copy, maybe, but which one? And why, if there indeed was a backup copy involved, would anyone want to have a backup following them around? By look alone, he never would've guessed they were the same code. They were totally different from each other, aside from that temper he had gotten a tatse of. Despite that, the two didn't resemble the conventional "twin", if you will. There was a family resemblance, of course, but the pair weren't exactly a family. 

And that eye! What in the World Wide Web happened to Matrix's eye? That just wasn't normal. He had to have lost it in a battle of some kind. _I wonder how Dr. Matrix deleted,_ he thought, randomly jumping ship from one thought to the other. Matrix had mentioned something about Dr. Matrix destroying one system already. What the Net was that about? The very mention of the man got both Enzo and Matrix hot under the preverbial collar. 

Not knowing any of this was starting to get to him. 

He hated not being in control. The last time he wasn't in control, bad things happened. Sure, the perps got what they had coming, but still. So he was a control freak. So what? He liked it that way. But he didn't like this one bit, not a bit. It seemed Daemon's minions were still roaming and get stronger and stronger by the microsecond. They needed to be stopped. Now. And he just hated those that had come along with him, saying they could help. All they were doing was keeping the real power of the group away from the action. 

He wanted answers. And he was going to get them. 

* * * 

The system of Turic. Once like other little systems in the Net. Full of sprites and binomes, going to and from work and school. Enjoying the second as they came, happy with the life they led. Local shops and business made the town, a shop and/or business on every corner. The owners always happy, chatting with the customers, saying hello to the binome on the street. Children played in the park and the playground, parents sat and watched, looking up at the sky, wondering what the future would hold for them and their children. Life in Turic had been simple. Any hardships were faced with a whole community behind it. 

But that was then. 

The system of Turic was not that of times past. As the Saucy Wench slowly sailed into port, it was almost like a forgotten memory replaying itself in their minds. The looks on some faces were of silent shock, others held the look of rememberance. Rememberance of a time when they're system had looked just as bad, rememberance of a virus who turned a wonderful home into his own image and when the image no longer pleased him, he left it to decay. 

Matrix, AndrAIa, and Bob had that look. A shared look between the warriors who had come home to find their system near ruins. 

Dot had that look. A look of a horrible memory. The memory of slowly losing hope, the lost hope that her home would survive and that her loved ones would come home. 

The rest of the crew had been divided. Those that could remember that past quickly turned away from looking. Those that had joined on and may have heard of Megaframe, looked in awed shock and stunned silence. Kalyle took stock on the faces of the sprites that accompanied him. He turned and took stock of what was left of the system. 

Whatever glory seconds this system had were now long gone. The little shops and businesses that had once lined the streets were now destroyed. The ones that actually still stood looked like hollowed out bunker shells, the only safe place the people of Turic could hide. 

It was also a place where bugs could hide. 

Kalyle paid close attention to the emptied buildings. Anywhere dark and dank was where those disgusting creatures could hide. He also noted no one was out. He figured he'd see one binome run by, running from whatever he thought was chasing him, but not even that. So far, the only people out were them. 

"Sorta a sad reminder, huh boys?" AndrAIa whispered, seeing the look on their faces. 

"This is bad." Bob remarked. "Very bad."   


  


**Chapter 8 - The Heat is On**

"Oh man, could things get any worse?" 

The Mainframe staff had a lot on their hands. Their one little bug problem had now escalated to about seven, which did not make the sprites in the command room any happier. They were starting to believe Cadet Daniels when he said the bugs may have a nest already in Mainframe and perhaps were just hiding out in the Principal Office. But Hack and Slash had been sent to check things out and Ray as well and none could find where these extra bugs were coming from. They had just gotten another report, this time from the docks in Kits that a worker had been spotted. That's when Sabrina made her comment. 

"Oh man, could things get any worse?" 

**WARNING: INCOMING GAME! WARNING: INCOMING GAME!**

Everyone in the room rolled their eyes at the announcement. "You just had to say something." Hexadecimal muttered sarcastically. 

"Alright, darlin's," came Mouse's drawl. "Who's goin' in?" 

"Why didn't I see that coming?" Sabrina asked herself, mentally kicking her bitmap for not sensing the game sooner. 

"We are all under a lot of stress, my child." came Phong's answer. 

"Hello!" Mouse replied, impatiently. "That's game not gonna wait for us." 

"I'll go." Sabrina said, rushing towards the door, only to be stopped by Mouse. 

"You think that's a good idea, dumplin'?" 

"Do you see anyone else who wants to go?" came Sabrina's irritated answer. 

"Alright." Mouse sighed in defeat, grabbing her zipboard and heading out the room's doors. "But your folks are gonna be awfully sore if something happens to you." 

* * * 

The crew and passengers of the Saucy Wench were still gazing at the desolate system once known as Turic, as they came into the city's port. The sky was a darken haze of gray and black and only a few lights could be seen throughout the system. 

"Well," Matrix sighed, removing his zipboard. "I guess we better get moving." He threw his zipboard out and he, and the others, watched from the railing as it fell to the waters below. 

"Deco, system stats." The keytool buzzed and whirled and brought up a readout. "Not good." Enzo said, with a shake of his head. "This is really not good. The system's on marginal power, but not much. It's a system shut down." 

"Right." Matrix muttered, still looking at the water that held his fallen zipboard. "No zipboards then." Enzo nodded. Matrix turned to look at his brother. "I wish you had said that sooner." 

"Sorry." 

"Looks like we're walking." Dot said, heading past the others to the gangplank. "Gavin, make sure that antitoxin is brought to the Principal Office. I think we should take a look around first." 

Six sprites and one binome left the Saucy Wench. Mr. Andrew had the pleasure of delivering the antitoxin to the Principal Office, with word that Mainframe's Command.Com would join him shortly after she and her team made a sweep of the system for any victims. Six sprites soon found themselves in the middle of a city street. 

"This has to be the worst system I've ever seen." AndrAIa whispered to her companions. 

"This is worse than Megaframe." Matrix replied quietly. "Much worse." 

"Crover, scanner." Kalyle looked at the screen for a moment and looked off into the direction ahead. "If you folks will excuse me..." he said, starting off. 

"Where do you think you're going?" Matrix asked. 

"In search of a nest." Kalyle said plainly. "The sooner we get rid of that, the closer we are to riding the problem." 

"You're not going alone." Dot said. 

"I think I can handle things." 

"Not by yourself, you won't!" Dot insisted. 

"She's right, Cadet." Bob replied. "Right now, you're our only link to this thing. We'd like to keep you alive." 

"Speak for yourself." Matrix grumbled. 

"Enzo, go with him." Bob continued, choosing to ignore Matrix's comment. 

The young guardian looked at his father figure in disbelief. "Excuse me?" he asked, narrowing his eyes. 

"Go with him." Bob repeated. "Watch his back." 

"I'd really rather not, Bob." Enzo stated truthfully. 

"This is an order, Guardian Matrix." Bob replied, the look and tone he held was very firm. And not up to a debate. 

Enzo looked at Bob, as though ready to reply, but he just sighed and walked towards Kalyle. "Let's go." he mumbled, trudging off in the direction Kalyle indicated. The others watched as they left. 

Dot sighed and said, "Let's get started." 

"Where exactly are we going?" Matrix asked. 

Dot merely pointed and the others followed her gaze. She was pointing to a domed building off in the distance. The top was slightly damaged, but otherwise in good condition as far as they could tell from their distance. It was Turic's Principal Office. 

* * * 

"Well, this is pleasant." 

Mouse and Sabrina had barely gotten under the game as it landed in Baudway. Luckily, everyone in the Diner or the vicinity cleared out and left the game to the professionals. The girls now stood on what seemed to be a tropical island. Palm trees lined the beach shore and the colors of the ocean could be present, even from where they stood. Behind them was a row of grass huts and some tables and makeshift chairs. 

"So, what've we got here?" Mouse asked, looking around their surroundings. 

Sabrina closed her eyes for a nano, then opened them. "We're on the third level of Island Castaways. The user has to rescue himself and six other people from this island. Thing is, the people he's trying to rescue, namely us, keep getting in his way. Basically, we gotta keep him busy." 

"How easy could a game be?" Mouse asked, in surprise. She hadn't been much of a gamer, leaving that stuff up to the guardians and AndrAIa, but she had been in a few and they always seemed to be...more or less interesting and challenging. This game just looked like busy work. "So what kind of weapons do we have?" 

"Not sure." Sabrina answered. "We'll have to Reboot first." 

"Well then?" 

"Let's wait to see the user." the girl said, looking around. "I wanna know what we're up against." 

They didn't have to wait long. Coming from the bushes to their left, stood a gangly sailor. He wore khaki pants, a red shirt, and a white hat on his head. He looked like he could be on the chess team. 

"_That's_ the user?!" Sabrina exclaimed, cringing at the young man that stood before them. "Ugh, I can feel my social life dropping several levels as we speak." she continued, head in her hands. "Let's get this over with. Reboot!" 

"Reboot!" 

The game's light transformed them and they looked down at themselves. Sabrina was dressed in short shorts and wore a plaid tank top tied in a bow at the bottom. Her hair was now in pigtails and her freckles were slightly accented. "Mouse," the girl replied, looking at herself. "Let's not tell my Mom and Dad about this. Especially Dad. He'd go offline if he saw...wow!" Sabrina turned to see Mouse, who was all dolled up in beautiful red ball gown. Her normally wild hair, now hung limply about her shoulders. Sabrina let a whistle and said, "Aren't we all snazzy?" 

"Never fails, darlin'" the hacker drawled, putting one hand on her hip. "I'm all prettied up with no place to go." 

* * * 

Ray cruised the sky on his Baud, overlooking Mainframe. He missed the high adventure that Web surfing brought him, but every time he ventured up to look down on the city, he was always in awe. This little system was a bit of alright in his mind. He'd been through too much with them so far to ever turn his back on them and now was no exception. He knew about bugs and knowing that they had a potential nest in the city didn't comfort him. He also didn't feel right with half of the staff leaving to go to Turic. He understood why that cadet had to go and Matrix and AndrAIa, and even Bob and Enzo, but Dot should've stayed. He knew the reputation bugs had for Command.Coms and he knew Dot knew this as well. 

But when Dot Matrix made up her mind to do something...watch out! 

The surfer continued his task, checking on various reports that had come in since Mouse and Bri left for the game. He could see the shiny purple block in the distance. Sometimes he'd get the urge to go try one out, but Mouse or Matrix put all those thoughts right out of his head. _Just as well,_ he thought. _The bloody thing takes all the fun out of the second anyway._ He was looking at the game cube when something below caught his eye. Traveling a little lower, he recognized the object. 

A worker. 

Ray hated deleting anything, especially something so disgusting, but with one zap, he eliminated the creature. He stood on Baud for a nano, mentally counting how many bugs they had gotten so far. _11_. That was the new total now and that made Ray Tracer a little more than just edgy. 

It made him downright scared. 

* * * 

The game Island Castaways seemed simple enough. Keep the user occupied. Piece of cake, easy as pi, like taking candy from a baby. And the user...he really couldn't be a match for the game sprites that were there. Sure, he had made it to the third level, but things change. This couldn't be more easy, right? 

Wrong! 

Mouse and Sabrina were finding out the hard way that appearances aren't always what they seem. Sure, the scenery and the mere game statistics gave way the game would be fairly easy, but that's where the two sprites were wrong. The user it seemed was much more resilient in getting to the next level than be concerned with the two lovelies that were trying to stop him. 

"No thanks, Mary-Ann." replied the user. "I don't want any more pie." 

"It's on the house." Sabrina, as this Mary-Ann, insisted. "Have another. It's your favorite." 

"Nah," the user said, putting his hands up. "I'm done." 

"The lady said have another pie!" Mouse said, trying to look menacing and not doing a very good job. 

"I gotta see the Professor." 

"Sit down and have another pie!" Sabrina exclaimed, causing the user to stay where he was and grab another coconut cream pie. 

"He's persistent." Mouse whispered to her young charge. "This is really hard." 

"Tell me about it." Sabrina replied. "We can't keep this up all second. We got stuff to do!" 

The user quickly finished his third pie and started to stand. "Where do you think you're goin'?" Mouse questioned, hands on her hips. "That was really good, girls, but I gotta go." the user answered. 

"Gilligan!" Sabrina said, pushing another pie in front of the man. "Sit. Eat. Pie!" 

"I really can't!" the user said, almost on the verge of tears. 

"Oh, this is ridiculous!" Mouse cried, picking up a spare pie. She hurled it at the user and it splattered against his chest. Sabrina got a mischievous smile on her face before picking up one pie after another and hitting the user in the face. After about five pies, the girls heard the wonderful, 

**GAME OVER!**

"I'm so glad that's over!" Sabrina breathed, watching as the purple cube lifted above them. 

"Oh, I don't know," Mouse said, putting a swagger into her walk. "It's not everyday a girl gets all dolled up to throw pies." 

"Then we'll bake some pies and throw them at my Dad." the girl laughed. A vidwindow popped up, Phong's worried face on the other side. "Hey wise leader type guy." Sabrina replied, giving the old sprite a smile. "What's processing?" 

"Mouse, Sabrina, you must return to the Principal Office immediately." Phong said, his voice holding the necessary urgency. 

"What's wrong?" Mouse asked, curious to know the problem. 

"It seems our current problem is growing worse." 

* * * 

Bob, Matrix, and AndrAIa walked through the barren streets, heading towards the Principal Office of Turic. If they had thought the damage to the system was bad off from the ship, it was worse close up. CPU transports lay overturned by the sidewalks, businesses shattered, windows broken, doors lay on the ground, splintered. The whole scene was starting to make the three very uneasy. 

"Guys, let's hurry up and get outta here." AndrAIa whined, an uneasy feeling landing in the pit of her stomach. "Being out here is giving me the jaggies." 

"I'm with you." Matrix said. In all the seconds and minutes they spent game hopping, he and AndrAIa had never come across a system as depleted as this. Even the shock of seeing Megaframe didn't hold up much to this system. 

"I don't sense anything." Bob replied, looking around as well. "But we still have to be on guard. Incidentally, I'm with you two. I want to get to the P.O. as quick as possible. What do you think, Dot? Dot?" 

The three stopped in their tracks and looked for Dot. They found her walking slowly behind them, organizer in hand, typing as she went. "Dot!" Bob said. 

"I'm right behind you." she said, not taking her eyes from her task at hand. 

"What're you doing?" AndrAIa asked. "You're lagging behind." 

"I'm surveying." she replied, continuing her walk and typing. "Anything is useful, right?" 

"Right." Matrix sighed, shaking his head. 

"Well, do you think you could survey a little faster?" Bob asked, impatiently. "We'd kinda like to get to the Principal Office sometime soon." 

"Yeah, yeah." Dot shooed his concern with a wave of her hand, eyes still looking around, hand still typing. 

The four continued their trek to the Principal Office, the scenes of devastation seemingly getting worse as they did. They could see fresh and dried energy on the sidewalk, in the street, flowing from buildings...for the four that had been through just about everything possible, this was new and uncharted territory. A very terrifying territory. AndrAIa stopped suddenly, causing Matrix to bump into her slightly. 

"Do you hear that?" she whispered, looking around nervously. 

"What?" Matrix asked. He knew to never go against her superb hearing. 

"I don't hear anything." Bob said, also looking around suspiciously. 

The sound was low and soft, like a rumble and increasingly started to get louder. "Do you hear that now?" the game sprite asked, sarcastically. 

"Yeah." Matrix breathed. 

"Dot?" Bob called, suddenly afraid for her. 

"Yeah." she answered, somewhere behind him. She wasn't as close as he had liked, but at least she had caught up to the group. 

The rumbling began to grow, the sound seemingly coming from everywhere. The fear that was etched on each sprite's face was that they had never known. The games hadn't been this terrifying, the Web hadn't been this scary, Megaframe hadn't been so frightening. Everything seemed to tremor, the buildings, the sky, the ground... 

Then it stopped. 

As suddenly as it began, the noise just stopped. "It stopped." Matrix concluded, his breathing slowing slightly. All was quiet, like it had been when they first arrived. "Something's up." AndrAIa stated, that growing fear hitting her like a ton of bricks. The group stood on edge, listening for anything remotely similar in that first noise. 

Then came a high-pitched scream that filled the air. It was nothing like the sound of a sprite's scream or even a binome's. It was so loud, AndrAIa had to cover her ears. The noise blended with the crackling of earth, the shaking of the ground with a tremendous thunder. Then the high pitched scream was replaced with a normal one. One that came from behind the other three. One that sounded very familiar. 

"Dot!" 

* * * 

Enzo did his best to keep up with Kalyle. The cadet was almost possessed, once he got a confirmed reading on Crover. The young guardians headed toward a larger business sector of the city, buildings and shops everywhere. Enzo imagined what it must have been like, before all of this. He had seen two binomes already, suffering from what looked like sheer pain. He had wanted to stop and help, but Daniels kept going, didn't even notice them as he passed. Their walking now slowed, Kalyle examining each building, looking to his keytool for any signs of bug life. 

"There's something wrong." Enzo said, looking around. He hated being out here. He wished Bob had let him stay with his group. The fact that he hated Kalyle Daniels also played into it. "It's way too quiet." 

"You have a lot to learn about bugs, Matrix." Kalyle replied, not looking up from Crover's screen. "Or didn't they teach you that at the academy." 

"Dude, what are you?" Enzo asked. "A guardian or a renegade?" 

"A little of both actually." the cadet regarded. "Now, would you mind shutting that mouth of yours? I can't think if you're yapping away." 

The two suddenly stopped in front of a small store with the words, Pop's Shop, on a broken window. Enzo could see it used to be a clothing store/deli, by what was left of the counter and the stools. Clothes were strewed everywhere, on the floor, the stools, the counter...the deli aspect made him think of Dot's Diner...thinking of that always made him think of Dot. They were not in a place where he wanted something to happen to them. He didn't know a lot about bugs, but he knew the worse. 

They were like locusts, flocking to anything that they saw as food. The workers weren't as harmless as they looked. They weren't as powerful as they bigger counterparts, but they still had enough venom to do some serious harm to a person. He couldn't even imagine what might have happened if Kit hadn't done anything to save himself and his family. Enzo could've lost his nieces and nephews in one foul swoop. His family was too important to him. He made a decision right there. 

As soon as they were out of there, he'd apologize to Dot and Matrix for his behavior. 

"There's a definite nest here." Kalyle replied grimly, breaking Enzo from his thoughts. 

"Inside there?" the young guardian asked, pointing to the wreck that was once Pop's. 

"In the system." KD said, sighing. "I'm not sure where though. Crover can only tell me there's one here. He's not that sophisti..." 

A high-pitched scream cut Kalyle off and both turned to looked in the direction it came. "What in the Net was that?" Enzo exclaimed, covering his ears in order to block the sound. Kalyle knew that sound like he knew the back of his hand. It came from the very thing that had killed his family and destroyed his home. His ears were trained to pick out which sound came from which bug and he got a sinking feeling as soon as he realized where it was coming from. 

"It's a soldier." he said, gazing in the direction where the other group was. 

* * * 

Dot didn't hear the sound until the last moment. 

It sounded almost like an explosion coming from behind her. She had barely turned around when she felt a pain in her side, near her lower back. At first, she thought maybe a piece of concrete had hit her, but then her body felt like it was on fire. Every circuit, every patch of code felt as though they were being doused in flames. It was a pain she had never felt before, coursing through her body. As she fell to the ground, she heard someone, a multiple of someones, call her name. 

And she saw her attacker. 

It was just as ugly and hideous as the small worker they found in the Principal Office, but it was larger. Much larger. It had to be twice the height of Princess Bula and apparently, a third of the strength. Its eyes were beady and its antennae twitched. As drowsiness started to over take her, she thought she could see the hint of a smile... 

* * * 

"Dot!" 

The three hadn't exactly seen the attack, but they didn't have to when they saw Dot fall to the ground. "Gun: Command Line!" Matrix shouted, Gun in his hand in an instant. "Full delete!" The shots hit their target, but didn't seem to damage it much. With an angry cry, the soldier started to charge, but then refrained and took off into the sky, Matrix still firing at it. Bob was at Dot's side almost immediately. 

"Dot? Dot, answer me. Talk to me, baby." He was answered with a soft moan as AndrAIa and Matrix joined him. 

"Dot, can you hear me?" Matrix asked, about to roll her over when his hand touched something. 

It looked like a huge, pulsating dart, pumping whatever was inside into his sister. "Matrix, you gotta pull that out!" Bob shouted. Matrix looked up at him, indecision in his eyes. Shouldn't they not touch anything? Wouldn't she get worse? "But..." 

"Do it!" 

Matrix jumped at the command and sighed. "This is gonna hurt, baby, and I'm sorry." Bob whispered, Dot's head now resting in his lap. Matrix placed one hand around one side of the wound and gripped his other on the pulsating sack. He made a face, his hand being slimed from the mere touch. Placing it squarely, he yanked. 

Dot screamed loudly from the pain. It seemed the removal of the object only increased the fire that burned inside. "I'm sorry, Dot, I'm sorry." Matrix pleaded, hating seeing his sister in pain. Running and panting from nearby caused the three to look up momentarily. The looks on the young guardians' faces were as different as can be. Enzo looked stricken, in shock. A familiar chord hitting him as he saw his beloved sister laying on the ground. 

Kalyle looked more than a little disturbed, if not annoyed. 

Both were quickly by the Command.Com, Enzo kneeling down next to his brother, Kalyle pacing around the small group. "Oh no, oh no, oh no." he replied, like a mantra. He was thinking quickly. They couldn't possibly hang out here. Bugs were like sharks. They could smell energy a mile a way and come converging on them at any microsecond. "We gotta go. We gotta go!" he said, looking around for any signs of another attack. "Leave her and let's go." 

"Are you out of whatever's left of your mind?" AndrAIa retorted, giving the cadet a stern look. "We're not leaving Dot here." 

"You obviously don't seem to understand the trouble we're in right now." Kalyle said, matter of factly. "She's a victim. She's basically bug food. Within a few more nanos, we're going to be enveloped with bugs. Second, she's a Command.Com. I bet that soldier you met has gone off to tell the Queen and she'll be having fine dining if we don't get out of here! Now, I'll say this. If we leave her here, maybe the other bugs will finish her off before their Queen gets out here. Now, let's go!" 

The four sprites just stared at him, the anger slowly rising in each of them. "You're cruisin' for a bruisin', you know this, right?" Matrix asked, both hands balled into fists. 

"I don't have time for this sentimental garbage!" Kalyle exclaimed. "Now, listen to me. We are in the middle of the bug war zone. We are currently surrounding someone who is probably deleting as we speak. Yeah, we've got antitoxin, but look how far away we are from the basic Principal Office, where one of this software pirates took the stuff! He probably didn't even _go_ to the Principal Office! He probably doubled back and he, and the crew of the most wanted criminal in the Net, are probably long gone and are about to sell that little package and get a slice of the..." 

Kalyle felt like he was hit by a truck. Slamming down hard on the ground, it took him a while to realize he was getting the daylights knocked out of him. A wild punch and a push moved his attacker and Kalyle was quickly back on his feet. He saw a rush of green and blue come at him, but was able to duck a right cross, in order to nail the perpetrator in the gut. 

Enzo stumbled back, clutching his stomach, unprepared for the uppercut that knocked him into a building wall. Kalyle had his hands around the guardian's neck, choking him and pushing him back into the wall. Enzo clawed at KD's hands, trying to pry them from his throat. Three swift kicks to his mid section caused the cadet to release his grip and set him up for a barrage of punches from Enzo. Kalyle stumbled back, reaching inside his trench coat for his weapon. Removing a large and very sharp sword, the cadet was about to make Enzo fries, when he ran smack into an unmovable object. 

Gun's barrel aimed between his eyes. 

Kalyle stopped in his tracks, eyes locked on Gun. Moving them slowly, he looked at Matrix, who stood aiming with one hand and holding a squirming Enzo at bay with the other. "I don't think I have to say anything." the renegade addressed the sprite. "This should explain. Any questions?" 

"Matrix, Enzo, I need you guys over here." Bob said, glancing over his shoulder. "Now!" 

Reluctantly, the two walked over to Bob and AndrAIa. Matrix gathered Dot in his arms, AndrAIa right behind him. Enzo shrugged Bob's hand from his shoulder as he stalked after the two. As Kalyle started in the same direction, Bob stopped him with a hand to his chest. "You can bet Turbo's gonna hear about this." he said, anger shooting from his eyes like daggers. He removed his hand and followed suit.   


  


**Chapter 9 - Jetball Wizard**

The grand total was at fourteen. That's how many bugs the staff and citizens in Mainframe had discovered and they weren't any closer to finding out where they were coming from. Currently, Ray and Sabrina were looking at system reports coming from all over the city. Two spotted in Wall Street, four reported near or in Floating Point Park. The only comfort they had was the bugs were just workers, but it didn't make things easier. 

Phong was no where to be seen, having gotten an emergency call from AndrAIa in Turic. Ray didn't like the sound of it. Mouse had taken off like a shot after a few micros and something in the surfer could feel something horribly wrong had happened. What or to whom, he didn't know. Phong had taken the call in his office and all knew when Phong wanted to be alone, he'd get what he wanted. 

"Ray, whadda think happened?" Sabrina asked quietly, eyes surveying a screen in front of her. "In Turic, I mean." 

"I'm not sure, lovey." Ray replied, putting a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder. "But what ever it was, Mouse went to find out and keep everyone sane." 

"Mouse? The sane one?" the girl joked, laughing a bit. Ray chuckled at the joke as well, giving her a small hug. "Everyone's fine, I bet." she continued, a sad smile on her lips. She sighed after a while and looked up at Ray. "Kit's over there." 

Ray's face went from shock to anger to realization. He knew something wasn't quite right. "I knew something was missing, but couldn't put my finger on it." he replied, chuckling in spite of himself. "Don't worry, Lovely Lady, I bet his folks discovered him and punished him rightly so, I might add. He's fine, I'm sure." 

_I hope they all are._

* * * 

The waiting room was quiet. Three heartbroken sprites sat in the empty room, one leaning against the door jam, a second laying on the hard, cold bench, a third sat numbly at the table. The news was not good. Dot lay in a makeshift bed, all the equipped ones filled to capacity with the injured or worse cases. Dot had arrived too late. 

There was no more antitoxin. 

Bob sat by her cot, quietly talking to her, hoping against hope she would be okay. "Everything's gonna be okay, Dot." he whispered, brushing a strand of her hair from her eyes. She was hot to the touch, a brushing of a finger would hurt the person touching her. "We'll get some more antitoxin and..." 

"Give it to those who need it." came the raspy reply. 

"Like you, baby." Bob said. 

"Bob, the needs of the many..." 

"Outweigh those of the one." he concluded, sighing. "You've been hanging around Phong for too long." 

A weak smile came to Dot's lips. "I don't just go to the Principal Office to work, you know." she joked. She coughed a few times before settling down, wincing as she did. "Bob, I'm hot." she moaned. 

"Sure are." he smiled, his finger tracing the outline of her face. 

"Flatterer." she quipped, closing her eyes and smiling. 

Bob grabbed a wet cloth he had gotten from the Command.Com, Dell Centro. The guardian hadn't seen him for quite a while. The story he had gotten was a bad one. Turic was a small system, so not many doctors were there, which made treating every victim of an attack almost impossible. When they brought Dot, Centro told them truthfully that Dot would be on a waiting list. Mr. Andrews had contacted him and had delivered the antitoxin. Centro immediately delivered it those that had a high priority. Unfortunately, the supply they brought was not enough. Since contacting Mainframe, there had been almost an influx of victims. They had hopefully saved some, but more were still hanging on to a mere thread and Dot was rapidly joining them. He just hoped Phong would send more help. 

They were going to need it. 

* * * 

"We're in some trouble here, Phong." 

As soon as they reached the Principal Office, AndrAIa quickly brought up an emergency vidwindow to Mainframe. She quickly told the wise sprite their situation and couldn't help noticing Mouse in the background. The hacker was gone from sight though when she heard Dot had been attacked. Phong's normally happy face was replaced with one of worry. He was extremely worried, not just for Dot's welfare, but that of her brothers. 

"Tell me, AndrAIa," Phong said, after listening to the crisis in Turic. "How are the Matrix brothers taking this?" 

"Not very well, obviously." AndrAIa said, confused as to why he would even ask. 

Phong sighed, shaking his head in sadness. "I am worried for them." he said. "This might be too much for them to take. If anything should happen to lessen Dot's chances..." his voice trailed off, closing his eyes as if to block out a painful memory. 

"Phong, I'm not sure I understand your meaning." 

Phong looked at the game sprite and sighed once more. "AndrAIa, it is imperative that you watch Matrix and Enzo very closely until Dot is fully healed." he said. "If anything were to seriously happen to her..." the old sprite again shock his head and sighed. "Perhaps I should start from the beginning." 

"That could be good." AndrAIa said, crossing her arms. 

"I'm not sure if Matrix or even Enzo remember that time." he started. "They've tried so hard to block out the whole incident. It began the night of the Twin City disaster. Both brother and sister were shaken up, as you can imagine, but as the seconds dwindled by, I started to take note of how each kept in their pain. Dot, working as though to distance herself from the event. Enzo, just keeping it bottled in. It nearly destroyed him..." 

_The little sprite had been sitting in the corner for who knows how long. He had started to lose track of time and sense. He just stared at the wall. Enzo was tired and his bitmap was sore for sitting for too long, but no matter how he tried, he just couldn't get up. Realization was starting to hit him now. The blast from the Twin City had deleted his parents. He and his sister were now orphans. He had overheard some binomes talking to Phong earlier. They thought he hadn't them, but he had. He and Dot were now the only sprites in the system. All his friends were gone. He was completely alone._

_He wasn't sure when it happened exactly, but something in his processor snapped. He ceased to be Enzo Matrix. He was suddenly falling through a black void, the only light coming from what he could see through his eyes. The body was now just a shell of what had been Enzo David Matrix. Enzo landed on the hard ground, surrounded by darkness everywhere. For a little sprite, he was scared like crazy. He didn't know where he was or how he had gotten there. Stray tears were starting to flow from his eyes._

_"Enzo..."_

_He didn't hear the voice at first, his small cries and sniffling distracting him. "Enzo..." it came again. Enzo turned and saw his parents beckoning him towards them. The small sprite wiped his eyes and stared wide eyed. It looked like his parents, sounded like his parents...was this a dream of some sort? The two stood in a doorway and behind them was a green field of grass. The sun was shining and he could hear birds singing._

_"Come with us, Enzo." said his mother, waving him closer._

_"But...but Phong said..." the boy stuttered, wiping more tears from his face._

_"Come on, son," James said, proudly. "Come be with us. Everything's going to be okay."_

_Enzo was at a crossroad. He knew this place couldn't be real. In real life, his parents were gone. But here, they were very much alive. Enzo didn't have to think twice. He ran towards his mother's outstretched arms and hugged her. Then the three entered the beautiful place, the door closing slowly behind them..._

_* * *_

_Phong's thoughts drifted away from the damage reports to the small boy that had been sitting in the corner staring at the wall. He had been there for a second and a half, no movement what so ever in all that time. Phong was beginning to get increasingly worried for the lad. Enzo was very young and something like this could only do damage to his frail senses. He looked over at the boy's sister, who was busy talking to the binome in charge. Dot too was greatly affected, of course. Though she was older, she seemed able to cope and move on, but Phong knew this was only to mislead those around her._

_It was time for the brother and sister to take a break._

_"Dot," the wise sprite interrupted, whirling over to the young girl. "You have done enough already. Please, let this tragedy be handed by those in the Principal Office."_

_"But Phong," Dot protested. "Things have to be done. Cleared away. We still have to make a complete body count..." her voice trailed off._

_"Please Dot, all these things will be taken care of." Phong said. He then turned to the binome in charge. "Would you excuse us?" The binome nodded and went back to his surveying work. "Dot, I am growing very worried about your brother." he continued in a hushed whisper. "He has not moved from that spot in over a second. I feel he is under a great deal of suffering, as are we all."_

_Dot sighed. She had been trying to block that horrible moment from her processor. In doing that, she had surely neglected her kid brother. "You're right, Phong." she said in defeat. "I've just..."_

_"I understand, my child." Phong replied, putting a comforting hand on the girl's arm. "It is time to tend to your other family member. It is written, in times of tragedy, the family unit is stronger. Don't let the fact that your parents are no more separate you from the family you still have." Dot thought through Phong's words, nodded, and walked over to Enzo._

_"Hey you." she said, kneeling by her brother. "I'm sorry for not paying attention to you, Enzo. We shouldn't let the fact that Mom and Dad are gone break us apart. We gotta look out for each other now."_

_Dot didn't receive an answer. She sighed, thinking Enzo was giving her the silent treatment. "Enzo, I really am sorry for the way I've been acting." she said. "I wanna make that up to you. I think we should talk, don't you?" Still no answer. Dot put a hand on his shoulder and noticed he didn't flinch. That's when she noticed his eyes hadn't moved at all since she had been there. "Phong!" she cried, gently shaking Enzo._

_The sagely old sprite whirled by. "There's something wrong with Enzo!" Dot was now forcibly shaking her brother. She stopped long enough for Phong to examine the boy. He placed two fingers near the boy's neck and checked his appearance. "Oh dear." he murmured, suddenly realizing the urgency of the situation. "Call the med unit right away." he ordered Dot, who looked as though she was about to cry._

_"Enzo's stopped breathing."_

AndrAIa looked at Phong in shock. "I had no idea any of that happened." she whispered. 

"As I said, I doubt Matrix or Enzo even remember the incident." Phong replied. "Luckily, we were able to save him, but to this second, even I am not sure what exactly happened. That is why it is important to monitor both brothers' activities. To lose Dot and then her brothers in one quick microsecond would be unbearable." 

"Tell me about it." AndrAIa replied. "Don't worry, Phong. I'll keep a close eye on both. I'll let you know if there's anything more on Dot. AndrAIa out." 

* * * 

Kalyle stood outside the Principal Office, checking for anything that could come up. _Turbo will hear about this,_ he repeated in his mind. _They could be hunting down bugs right now, but nooooo. We have to take care of Dot. Dot has to be okay. Ugh! Don't they understand what kind of trouble is coming as long as she's even **barely** alive?_ Sometimes Kalyle couldn't understand sprites. Everything that seemed logical and things that should be done were replaced with mind messing emotions. Sure, the cadet felt bad that Dot had gotten caught, but hey. People _told_ her not to come, but she did anyways. Not his fault if she deleted. 

The cadet sighed, not sensing anything, not getting anything from Crover. Had the bugs gone into hiding? Maybe...probably planning something as he stood there. Bugs were incredibly smart, despite everything they were. That soldier that attacked Dot must've known she was a Command.Com, which meant their being in Turic only prevented them from saving Mainframe. Pity though. He never did find the answers to some of his questions. Oh well. He had a job to do and that was to end this menace as soon as possible. 

Kalyle turned to look at the Principal Office entrance. He really didn't want to be in there anyways. He had seen enough of death in his lifespan. He may be used to it, but it didn't mean he had to see it. Besides, the Mainframe sprites seemed to be mad at him. Go figure. That's gratitude for ya. He didn't need to come to Mainframe; Turbo basically made him come. He just hoped they wouldn't have the same spammed problem, though he knew they probably were. He wouldn't be surprised if the whole bug thing started in the basic system. 

KD sighed once more. Now was the time to see that kid in action. 

* * * 

Gavin hated leaving. He hadn't felt so bad since AndrAIa had been bitten by that Web creature so many hours ago. At the time, he figured that nothing would make him sadder than to lose AndrAIa before they reached Mainframe. He knew if she was lost, Matrix would be lost as well. But luckily, their Guardian had come back and saved her and Gavin figured he would never have to go through something like this again. 

Until now. 

Nothing would pain him more if they lost Dot Matrix. She was more than just a business partner to him. She was a friend, a true friend who had shown her true colors more than once in the hours since he had met her. She was a sprite he admired. Not too many sprites were like her. It wasn't just a matter of respecting her, Dot Matrix commanded respect. It was though you had no choice but to respect the spirit that she had, respect the decisions she made, rather they be right or wrong. She was a sprite who commanded respect, deserved it, and often got it. 

Gavin shook his head sadly. It would be a horrible shame for them to lose her. And not to just him and the crew, but also the family she would leave behind. Having to tell young Christopher that his mother had been attacked by a bug was the worse thing he had ever done. And it wasn't just a bug, but a soldier, the deadliest of them all. Once you had been attacked by a soldier, there really was no hope. And the fact that Dot was the Command.Com only meant the Queen probably knew of her fate and would come and get the last scraps. Gavin had seen a bug or two in his life and knew the Queen was a fate worse than deletion itself. The look on the boy's face told the captain he knew what would happen if Dot wasn't treated with antitoxin. 

Gavin hated to leave, but he had a job to do. 

Now that Turic had used all of the antitoxin from Mainframe, someone would need to go back and get some. The Crimson Binome and the crew of the Saucy Wench took it upon themselves to do the task. To lose Dot...Gavin again shook his head. He couldn't even imagine what would happen if the lass didn't make it. Her family couldn't cope. They would surely go offline, he knew that to be true of Matrix and Bob. There would be vengence, that was for sure. The crew of the Saucy Wench would make sure of that. But that would have to wait. 

The Crimson Binome had a job to do. 

* * * 

Mouse flew as quickly as she could in Ship. She was trying her best to stay calm. _Dot is going to be all right. She's going to be all right._ She knew it was a bad idea for Dot to go to Turic, but that sprite was so stubborn! Mouse kicked it into high gear and passed through the first portal. _Of course Dot's going to be all right. Why wouldn't she be?_

Mouse had to make it to Turic. 

* * * 

A middle aged sprite stood in the hallway, blowing a tired breath from his lips. He was relatively tall, with black hair and dark eyes. He was a medium blue, which was the mood he was feeling right now. Command.Com Dell Centro had been a busy sprite since the attacks began. He had lost his system, his people, his family to a bunch of ugly, overgrown viruses. That's who they would be to him. Nothing could cause this much destruction and this much pain and be something other than a virus. But as Dell had come to understand, there **was** a being so malicious, so deviant, so cunning, so cruel, so heartwrenchingly cold that could out double deal a virus in a snap. 

That being was a bug. 

And now their only hope of survival lay in a makeshift cot at the end of the hall. He had heard of the incredible Dot Matrix and wanted the pleasure of meeting her some second, but not like this. Definitely not like this. True, they had brought antitoxin with them, something Turic didn't have, but the demand outweighed the supply and now more sprites and binomes were being brought in, Dot Matrix being one of them, and there was no hope in sight. Her husband had said their friends had gone to get more and would be back, but it would probably take a while and that was something these people didn't have. 

Dell started to walk the long corridor back to the makeshift waiting room that had once been a Java meeting place for the staff. He purposefully walked slower, not wanting to go in there. Not wanting to see the dejected looks on the Matrix family's faces. The Guardian Bob had introduced everyone slightly, Dot's brothers had been the first to ask the questions and the first to be angered to learn Dot was on a waiting list. That Matrix fellow had scared him silly. His wife, AndrAIa he believed was the name, had calmed him down a little and had offered her services as soon as she made a call back home. The other young lad, a guardian cadet Bob had said, seemed disinterested in the life or deletion situation. 

But the worst, oh the worst person to come in was Dot's son. The boy was just that. A boy. Dell had a son just his age before all of this and to see the panic stricken look on his face when he ran into the room was sad. Dell felt horrible at not treating Dot first, but he had so many people that needed help first. Ironicly, the person who felt the same way was Dot herself. The Command. Com insisted that the others would be treated before her. After all, they were first in line. As he neared her room, he wasn't thinking about her as the leader of a remarkable system, but as a mother. A mother with a young son and newborn twins he had heard. 

Dell prayed to the User their friends would make it back in time. 

* * * 

Phong was worried. More worried than he had been in many minutes and hours. Hearing the news from AndrAIa was distressing. Dot had been attacked by a soldier. There was no more antitoxin. Knowing the past occurance with Matrix, he was sure the sprite wouldn't be able to take it if something happened to his sister. With that in mind, Young Enzo wasn't safe either. 

The old sprite whirled about his conservatory. Usually during times of stress, he would retreat here and think, reflect on happier times or to just smile at the trees and plants that lined the walls and floor. The current situation abroad did little to ease things that were happening at home. The lab had been successful, yes, at using Dr. Matrix's papers and getting the antitoxin. But as to getting rid of the horrid things, even James Matrix was at a lost. 

Phong remembered a time when bugs were just pests, annoying things that would turn up every once in a while. Something harmless, but had now grown very sinister. As far back as Phong could remember, there hadn't been a bug in Mainframe until just recently. _Strange,_ he thought. He would have to go back and look over James' work again. The young scientist and his wife had been to many systems and had seen many things before arriving in the small system of Mainframe. The old sprite wondered if James kept his journal during these trips. They could provide an exceptional amount of information. 

It could also hold the key to Dot's life and the extermination of bugs. 

* * * 

AndrAIa located Matrix almost immediately. 

He was leaning against the doorframe, eyes closed, arms crossed in his normal brooding fashion. She made a quick check for Enzo and found him sitting and yawning on the nearby bench. She wasn't sure if he would go down the same path Phong had told her about, but she wasn't going to take any chances. AndrAIa saw Kit sitting at a table all by himself, head cast down, fingers tracing imaginary outlines on the surface. She'd have to have a talk with him later. 

Right now, she had to stop her husband from entering some scary place she had only heard about. 

AndrAIa walked up to him and looked up. Her mere presence caused Matrix's eyes to open and stare down at her. "Care to walk me outside?" she asked, looking up at him. Matrix looked at her, an almost haunted look in his eyes. He remembered the last time he felt this bad, felt on the verge of a system crash...correction. _Another_ system crash. Without a word, he heaved himself from the wall and started to walk towards the door, with AndrAIa right behind him. 

They went out the back way, where a small ramada was once set up. Only one bench was left standing, the one in which Matrix and AndrAIa sat. Matrix took the bench, while AndrAia hoped up on the table next to him. "I guess asking if you're okay would be pointless, huh?" she asked. When he didn't answer, she continued. "She's going to be okay, Enzo, you have to believe that. But right now, I'm really starting to worry about you." 

After a while, Matrix answered, "He told you, didn't he?" 

AndrAIa looked at him in confusion, though she had an idea of what he was refering. Matrix looked up at his wife. "Phong." he said, seeing it clearly in her eyes the wise sprite had indeed told her. 

"He didn't think you'd remember anything." 

Matrix sighed and turned to face forward. "There's some things I don't remember." he said. 

"What was it like?" AndrAIa asked. "Could you tell me about it?" 

"I don't exactly remember what happened..." he started. "I had been staring at the wall for what seemed like seconds after...you know. And then...I just...I just slipped away, I guess." He paused for a nano, almost being brought back to that second. "It wasn't scary or anything. I mean...I was scared at first, of course, but...it didn't last long. I don't even know how long I was out. I just remember waking up in the medical unit with Dot sitting next to me in a chair." 

"What happened?" asked AndrAIa. 

"Apparently, I caught a virus, I think the Melissa or the HD one. Anyway, if things had gone normally, I would've had a check up, gotten some medicine for it, and bingo. I'd be okay. But because I was so quiet those seconds, I just...the official report is I lost conscieness and stopped breathing due to the virus attacking my code. I was in the M.U. for like two cycles. It was weird. I just remember waking up in the medic bed with Dot next to me." 

"So the virus caused a hallucination, you think?" 

"Maybe." Matrix said, looking down. "I don't think so though. It seemed so real." 

AndrAIa slid down to sit next to him on the bench and put a hand on his shoulder. "Real or not, I don't want to lose you. Promise me you won't think about Dot's condition. She's going to be okay, Enzo. You'll see." 

_I hope you're right._   


  


**Chapter 10 - Tension Mounts**

The Mainframe lab was all hussle and bussle that night. After hearing the news that Dot Matrix had been attacked, the focus on the destruction of their bug problem was upped. Phong urged everyone to keep the news of Dot's condition to themselves, not wanting to add another problem to their already large one. The scientists were working as quickly as possible. They had acheived success when Dr. Matrix's works showed a cure for a bug's sting. But it had been written in theory and the lab techs did everything they could to change the product into something they could use _right now_. 

But the solution they were missing was how to get rid of the bugs entirely. Every work that both doctors had been investigating was looked in to and studied carefully. Scientists from the Super Computer had been brought in to study and help on whatever they could. So far, it looked as though James Matrix's work had just been theory and conjucture. The Matrix siblings weren't gonna take that well. One lab technician was re-reading something that Patricia Matrix had worked on. He was tired and slightly hungry. He had been in there all afternoon, reading and re-reading, and so far all he was getting was a sore bitmap and sleepy eyes. 

He was about to call it a night when something he read interested him. He re-read the paragraph and had an odd, but yet plausible idea pop into his head. It was random, but perhaps it could work. He quickly got up and went to go find his superior. With any luck, this new discovery could drive the bugs out of the system. The techie went through the Principal Office and had no sign of his superiors. Figuring they must have gone home, the little binome decided he would turn in too. His apartment wasn't far, so instead of taking precautionary procedure, the tech ventured out from the doors of the Principal Office. 

He could see his apartment building not far away and proceeded to walk towards them. Phong had been nice enough to offer everyone living quarters in the P.O., just to keep the staff and such safe. Most of the lab decided they needed to be outside and away from work if they were to get any ideas on this thing and politely turned the System Administrator down. Phong though had insisted Sabrina, her brother, and cousins stay in the Principal Office with Ray, Hack, Slash, and himself. He was saddened that Mouse had left so abruptly and was quickly enraged when he learned Kit had also left, on the Saucy Wench with his parents. 

After that, all bets were off that anyone else was leaving. 

The lab tech looked about Mainframe on his walk home. He hadn't been here long, but he liked it. It was a nice place to come and start a family or so he had heard. He liked everyone and vice versa. His mind drifted to their problem at hand. It seemed like everytime they took care of one bug, two more would show up in its place. Rumors were going around and Phong had quickly been able to squash as many as he could, but one thing was for certain. 

Dot Matrix, the Command.Com, and her companions were taking way too long to deliver some antitoxin. 

The binome tech could understand the terror that was starting to grip the city. A few small workers were turning into more and more and just yesterday they had deleted a baby soldier. Now _that_ was scary. The more he looked at it, there had to be a nest here, but where? Where were all these bugs coming from? The surfer had gone out twice looking for one and hadn't found any. He wondered if perhaps... 

A strange noise stopped the binome in his tracks. Looking around he didn't see anything out of the ordinary, so he continued on his way. He began thinking again, when something definitely louder caught his attention. Spinning around, he didn't see anything behind him. The binome was sure something was out here with him. Oh, how he wished he had let someone know he was leaving. The night was quiet once again, but the tech didn't move a muscle. He figured if he just stood there, whatever it was would go away. He heard some russling from the right and decided he would go left. 

He didn't even get the chance to move. 

* * * 

Dot was not doing too good. 

Turic had more patients than they had realized, causing an extreme backload of people, including Dot. Bob sat in the chair next to her bed, watching as she slept or at least he hoped she was sleeping. She had drifted off sometime after their last conversation and a horrible feeling kept coming to the guardian that it was the last one they would ever have. 

Bob let out a tired sigh and noticed the door opening. A familiar head peeked in and looked around. "Come on in, you guys." Bob replied, knowing immediately who the next visitors would be. Sure enough, Matrix, followed by Enzo and Kit, walked in and stood next to the guardian. 

"How is she, Bob?' Matrix whispered, kneeling beside his brother in law. 

"She's getting worse." Bob replied, solmnly. "And I don't need a doctor to tell me that. Just look at her." 

The four were silent for a while, the only sound being Dot's shallow breathing. "We just can't sit around here all night." Kit said, holding back what ever tears felt like falling. "What're we gonna do?" 

"What can we do?" Enzo asked. "The only hope now is that Gavin and the Wench got back to Mainframe or at least to another system that might possibly have any antitoxin. And even that's a long shot!" 

"Well, we just can't let Mom stay here!" Kit exclaimed, wiping at his eye. 

"Maybe we can move her." Enzo suggested. "Get her back to Mainframe." 

"Man, you know that's not gonna work." Matrix said. "Dot wouldn't have a chance getting back home in her condition." 

"Oh like she's got a big chance right now." Bob muttered. "Face it, guys. We're stuck." 

"This coming from Mr. I-don't-believe-in-the-no-win-situation." Matrix growled. 

"Don't fight." came a small whisper. 

The boys turned to see Dot, eyes still closed, but lips moving. "Hey you." Bob said, leaning near her. The trio also got closer, it was so hard to hear her. 

"Don't fight." she repeated. 

"We're not fighting." Matrix said, grinning slightly. 

"Just a slight difference of opinion." Enzo joked, glad to see his sister was coming around. 

"Are you okay, Mom?" 

"Sure." Dot said, the hint of a smile on her lips. "Never better." She opened her eyes slowly and saw her four favorite men near her side. "You're having a party?" she asked. 

"Sure." Bob said, brushing a finger against her cheek. "You're invited. Guest of honor type thing." 

"Alphanumeric." came the soft reply. 

The boys hated seeing her like this. This wasn't even the Dot they knew and loved. This was a shell of someone who's energy was fading fast. And there was nothing they could do. As Matrix had stated, moving Dot would be just as risking as leaving her here. Either way, as Bob had put it, they were stuck there. 

Kalyle didn't bother to knock, just barged in unannounced. He felt slightly ackward at having disturbed what was probably the family's last goodbyes, but there were a lot worse things to deal with. "Thank you for knocking." Kit replied, sarcastically, not even bothering to turn around to see who the intruder was. 

"Sorry for interrupting." Kalyle said, closing the door behind him. "I hope you guys can hurry this up. We have real trouble right now." 

Matrix glared at the young cadet. "The last thing I'm going to do is hurry up. Especially for a snot nosed, little basic null like you." 

"I'm touched by your kindness." the cadet murmured. "But seriously. While the four of you are in here waiting for _her_ to go up to that big system in the sky, we've got bugs converging on this place as we speak. Maybe not now, but trust me." Kalyle paused to give an evil glare to Dot. "They can smell a Command.Com a mile away." 

"You know, I've had just about enough of you." Bob replied, trying to keep his anger in check. 

"Oh, have I insulted the big bad Bob?" KD taunted. "I would hate for you to be upset with me." 

"Watch it." Matrix grumbled, his hand instinctively going to Gun. 

Within nanos, four guardians were in a heated argument. And it didn't look as though any of them were going to back down from their personal feelings. Kit hated arguments, especially at a time like this. How could these guys be so selfish? His mother lay dying before him and they were arguing. He turned to look at Kalyle. He was saying something about him, but Kit wasn't paying attention. He was trying to block the whole argument from his ears. 

He hated this guy. As soon as he had come to Mainframe, things went from bad to worse. His powers! That's what he was talking about! Now how in the Net had he discovered about them? _Probably from doing something sneaky,_ Kit mused. And right now, that cadet was trying to put him on the front lines of an all in out bug war. 

"You must be nuts." Enzo said with disdain. 

"Look," Kalyle said. "The boy has some real talent. I bet he could clear up this problem like that. If it wasn't for people like you..." 

"People like us?!" Bob exclaimed. "That's my son, you're talking about, Cadet!" 

That was it. Kit had had enough of this guy and his constant talking and complaining and insults. He could just feel his anger welling up inside him. His family always told him he had the famous Matrix temper and how he should take up some hobby whenever he got upset. Well, that was fine and dandy when he was at home, doing homework, but now...all he could think about was how to get Kalyle Daniels. He wasn't sure what exactly happened, just that it was like he was back in his mother's office, face to face with that bug. His anger just over took him. There was a flash and suddenly Kalyle was pushed back against the wall. Enzo grabbed the boy's shirt, pulling him behind his leg. 

Kalyle was not going to be happy and that was all they needed right now. 

* * * 

"We've been all over this stuff. If they're here, they're doing a good job of hiding out." 

Sabrina had never Ray so angry before. In fact, she had never seen Ray angry in her whole life. It just wasn't him. It was like her dad smiling. Something had to be very very wrong. It was bright and early in Mainframe, though you really couldn't all that happy about it about. One of the lab techs had disappeared last night and no one could find him. Worse yet, two more reports came out from Beverly Hills, of all places. Ray and Phong had been talking about the problem when she entered into the command room. 

"Ah, good morning, young one." Phong said pleasently, forcing a smile on his face. 

"What's processing, boys?" she asked, coming over to stand next to them. "And don't sugar coat it for me. I know there's a problem and I know it's big, so don't insult my intelligence by telling me everything is hunky dorey in our little system cause I won't buy it." 

The two sprites looked at the girl, clearly surprised. Not by the fact of her very frank morning greeting, they had come to expect that from her. She was the daughter of Matrix and AndrAIa after all, but by the clear fact she knew so much that was going on. "Can't keep anything from you, huh?" Ray asked, laughing in his own way. 

"You are much too smart for your age, Sabrina." Phong replied, a genuine smile on his lips. "You are correct. We do have a problem. What am I saying? We have more problems than we can deal with!" 

"Half the staff is gone and now Mouse has bailed too." Sabrina said, nodding. "And that only tops off the fact that Aunt Dot's been attacked and the city's getting anxious. Wonderful way to start the morning, huh?" 

"Our big problem is these buggies are popping up everywhere and we can't even locate where they're coming from!" Ray exclaimed. 

"I hate to undermine your leadership and all..." the girl started, afraid of speaking the possiblity everyone was trying to avoid. "But have you checked the Principal Office?" 

"The scanners would've picked something up." Ray said. 

"Besides, we've done three sweeps already and there's nothing to indicate that everything is or has been in the Principal Office that could cause a threat." Phong added. 

"Great." Sabrina mumbled. "So we're flying blind. Not to mention we still got games to beat. I can tell you right now I wish Frisket were here. Even Kit. At least I could have some company." 

"You leave the games to me, little lady." Ray said, firmly. "The last thing we want is for you to get lost in one. Your dad would delete me for sure!" 

"Good idea, Ray." Sabrina said, sarcastically. "Nothing says intelligent like going into a game without knowing what you're doing. Face it. I'm your guys' Glitch. Without me, you're up a data stream without a paddle. I'll totally be careful. And I'm prepared for the worse case scenerio, which won't happen by the way, but I am prepared." She gave them a smile. "It pays to have Matrix as your dad." 

"Though the thought is grim, you are right, my child." Phong said. "We don't have the sprite power right now to assign certain tasks, so we'll have to do what we can. Our top priority is maintain the system's confidence that we are handling this situation properly, even if Dot isn't here." 

"Next, find out where these bugs are coming from." Ray supplied. "I've already got Hack and Slash looking after that. I'm gonna join them in a bit." 

"Make sure someone gets to the games." Sabrina added. "That's my department. I promise I won't go in alone." 

"Well, I guess all arrangements have been made." Phong replied. "Let's hope that Mouse has arrived in Turic and that Dot will be coming back." 

* * * 

Mouse had arrived in Turic and was surprised at how far the system had deteriorated. She found the Principal Office and strode inside. She hadn't heard much of AndrAIa's conversation with Phong, she had been on her way out after she heard about Dot. So, she was interested in the way things looked to her as she walked into the makeshift waiting room. 

AndrAIa and Matrix sat on the bench by the wall, the renegade's head resting on his girlfriend's shoulder. The scene was touching and a little odd. The two had been close since they were children, but they had never been the types to do a lot of outwardly affection, unless something exciting or terrible was up. And right now, this was not a happy moment. Enzo and Kit sat at the table, apparently playing a game of cards. Every now and then she noticed AndrAIa take a glance at the boys, specificly towards Enzo, almost trying to read his thoughts and expression. 

Kalyle Daniels sat in a corner, holding ahand on his chest. He looked like he was slightly in pain and he was giving evil glares to all three boys. Mouse wondered what had happened to him. _Probably got on Matrix's last nerve,_ she thought with a smirk. Served the boy right. The hacker hadn't had a good feeling about the cadet since he had gotten to Mainframe. Everything about him didn't settle right with her and apprently he was making more enemies in Turic than he had in Mainframe. 

The one person missing was Bob. 

Mouse didn't even have to guess as to where he was. She noticed the hallway through the opened door and guess the room across was where Dot was. She looked at AndrAIa for a silent confirmation and got it when the game sprite nodded. Mouse strode through the door and up to the closed door across the way. Knocking softly, she waited for a greeting and opened the door when she heard Bob's "Come in." 

The hacker was shocked to say the least when she saw Dot. The sprite looked horrible and that wasn't even the word Mouse could come up with it. If there something worse than horrible, that was Dot Matrix at the moment. Mouse couldn't even believe it, but she was definitely seeing it. Dot was getting paler by the look of it and her fever was getting higher by the nano. 

"Hey Mouse." Bob said, not taking her eyes away from his wife. 

"Hey yourself, blue boy." she responded. "How's our leader girl?" 

"She's not doing so good." 

"She'll be all right." Mouse said, putting a hand on the guardian's shoulder. "This is Dot Matrix we're talking about. Nothing keeps this girl down." 

Bob gave a tired smile. 

"You're looking old there, Guardian." Mouse joked. "Have you gotten any sleep?" 

"Thanks for the compliment." Bob said, sarcastically. "And no I haven't. Too worried. Hanging out with Dot too long, I guess." 

"Can't tempt fate, can ya?" Mouse gave a sly smile. "You, get out of here and get sleep. The Mouse is here, so go away now." 

Bob laughed a little, the first time he had actually laughed since they had gotten here. He gave Dot a kiss on her forehead, patted Mouse's shoulder, and went outside, closing the door behind him. Mouse took Bob's place in the chair and proceeded to watch over Dot. The hacker had to smile a little. In all of her hours, she'd never thought she'd get so attached to one place and the sprites in it. She had always been on her own, even when she was a child. She didn't rely on anyone for help, she could help herself. 

But ever since she stepped in Mainframe, she felt connected, even if the first time had been working for the virus Megabyte. But Bob had been in the system and she felt a twinge of loyalty to the guardian. After all, he had shown compassion even when he arrested her for breaking into the Super Computer archives. He was the only one who had treated her like a person instead of a criminal. It was funny. At the time of her arrival, she and Dot had been vying for Bob's affection. But Mouse could see right through the fascade Dot had around her. The hacker knew Dot had a torch for the guardian and vice versa. 

Even after Bob had been sent to the Web, Mouse could've left at anytime, but didn't. She saw what Bob's departure had done to Dot, not to mention Enzo, who had now become the system's only defense. And worse yet, only two people believed in Enzo's abilities as a guardian. Two people compared with the rest of the system who didn't, including the very people he was working for in a sense. And Megabyte wasn't helping as long as he had that snake Cyrus working for him and against Enzo. They seemed to have things underhand, until that fateful second. 

It had been devastating to lose Bob, but losing Enzo had pushed Dot over the edge. They always knew they was a risk, but they never imagined it could actually happened and to someone like Enzo. Just as he had gotten his confidence back, to lose a game and trap AndrAIa, Frisket, and himself in the games...well, Mouse understood why Matrix was Matrix. No one could truly uunderstand except AndrAIa, of course, but Mouse had a pretty good idea. 

Mouse looked down at Mainframe's leader. Incredibly funny. With the way the two women had started, no one could believe they would end up as best friends. Dot was the closest thing to family Mouse had ever known, everyone in Mainframe was. The hacker couldn't have imagined that she would get so attached to a little system so much. _Must be getting soft,_ she thought with a smirk. To Dot, she said, "Hang in there, Dot. Don't go skipping out on us. That's my job, remember?" 

Mouse sighed. She didn't know what would happen if Dot deleted. If that happened, Mainframe might as well be doomed. 

* * * 

"Well?" 

Bob had pulled Enzo, Matrix, and AndrAIa aside after he was sure Kit and Daniels were asleep. Especially Kalyle Daniels. The young guardian cadet had now overstepped his bounds and there was nothing the Mainframers could do. They still needed him with this bug problem and Bob was certain he wasn't going to let the cadet handle this on his own. 

"I just talked to Del Centro, the Command.Com." Bob said, sighing. "The news isn't good. There're still more binomes and sprites coming in and no antitoxin. She's fighting it some way. I'm surprised she's still holding out." 

"But how?" Enzo asked, not liking the news at all. "I thought you said a person can only last for a certain amount of time." 

"I know, I know." Bob said in defeat. "I don't know how she's doing it, she just is. Thank the User for that. If she can hang out for a little longer..." 

"Bob, we don't got that kinda time!" Matrix exclaimed. 

"Shh!" Enzo and AndrAIa said in unison. 

"You guys, we can't stay here." AndrAIa insisted. "Remember, we have our own problems in Mainframe, and it isn't looking too good either." AndrAIa began to tell them the problems Phong had mentioned with bugs now springing up in their system as well. 

"Great." Enzo muttered, leaning against the wall. "We're down here and the bugs are over there. How very convient." 

"Well, we can't do anything right now!" Bob said. "I'm not about to ruin whatever chance Dot has to get better. You guys can go back and help out. I'll stay here." 

"No way, Bob." Matrix said. "Enzo and I aren't leaving Dot here. Not til she's better." 

"AndrAIa?" 

"I gotta stay too, Bob." AndrAIa said, truthfully. When Bob looked at her in confusion, she added, "I have my own reasons. Besides, Phong asked me to." 

"A stalemate." Bob reasoned. "And I know Kit'll refuse to leave as well. And Mouse just got here..." The guardian sighed and crossed his arms. "You guys are really stubborn, you know that?" he asked, with a touch of humor in his voice. 

"Must be hanging out with Dot a lot." Enzo said, a sad smile coming to his face. 

The four stood silently in the hallway. They were at an impass. One hand was Mainframe's new bug problem that seemed to be getting worse as they stayed in Turic. But the other hand was Dot, laying critical in a cot in a room down the way. Neither one of them wanted to leave. Bob understood Enzo and Matrix's need to stay, but was confused at AndrAIa explaination. Phong had asked her to stay, but why? As much as Bob wanted someone to go, they all wanted to stay. The Mainframe way. Always looking after each other. 

But what about the system itself, which seemed to be in the worst danger possible? 

Bob could only hope Dot could hang on for a little longer. 

* * * 

The alleyway was the perfect to hide. No one hardly ever came through this way, especially now. The plan was working and working well. They would take this system like they had the others and best yet, no one was suspecting anything yet. They couldn't be found, their nest laying right in front of the them to see, but hidden so very very well. 

Daemon had made sure they were prepared for what might happen if they didn't succeed, but she knew they would. It was perfect. A very clever plan from a very clever virus. And it didn't even start after she had been deleted and the Net and the Guardians had been cured. It was hours before the first wave went out. Just the workers, then moving up to the soldiers, and finally the queen would enter the system and take the Command.Com. 

Bugs weren't as basic as sprites and binomes thought them to be. They had a heirarchy with their own rules and regulations, but with one common ground rule. Destroy. Taking over a system helped build their population. With the Command.Com safely captured by the queen, the herd could find other systems that would help in their survival. A populated system meant food and areas that they could reproduce in. As soon as a system was about to crash, the herd would leave to find another fresh system. 

The super virus Daemon had given them a task in order to help spread her infection through the Net. In the last scenerio, the one where she would be defeated, they would be her revenge. Even through death, Daemon would have a lasting legacy and a last laugh. And she would get her revenge on systems who tried to stop her. Bugs had to be the hardest things to hit a system and the hardest to get rid of. Even if an initial attack was stopped, they would always be there...lurking. Watching. Waiting. It didn't matter if Daemon was gone, she would still overpower the Net. That was her function and she would have it carried out, even if she couldn't do it herself. 

It was only a matter of time before this system would fall as well.   


  


**Chapter 11 - Collisions, Sabotage, and Deletion**

The setting was dark. Fog rolled around on the ground and all was quiet. The buildings around were eerily quiet as well, as though no one lived in them. This was the time of night when people didn't want to be out. Not when _he_ was lurking about. But, despite warnings and protests, various game sprites were out, doing what would be characterized as their "profession". Among this group of people stood two other sprites, one adult, the other a child. 

"What kind of game is this?" Ray asked, looking around at their location. 

"It's something called 'Track the Ripper'." Sabrina supplied. 

"You've played this before?" 

"My dad has." she responded. "It's something about a serial killer on the loose and our job is to either stop him or figure out who he is." 

"Oh yeah, sure." Ray replied, sarcastically. "That should be fairly easy." Then a thought struck him. "It should be easy. After all, if Matrix played it..." 

"Sorry, Surf boy." Sabrina said, her hand hovering over her icon. "In this game, the killer could be anybody. That's why it's so popular. Dad played it twice and the outcome was always different." 

"Great." 

The two rebooted and let the glow lift off from their bodies. Ray was dressed in detective digs, a long winter coat on top of his clothing to keep him warm. Sabrina was dressed in fancy dress for the time, but when she closed her eyes, she realized why. "Looks like I'm bait." she said, plainly. 

"Bait?" Ray asked. 

Sabrina nodded. "I'm to lure the killer into the open and you're gonna have to use your supreme good looks and charm to stop me from being killed." The girl looked up at Ray's ashen face. "Hey, it could be worse." she continued, walking a couple of steps. "Just think what will happen to _you _if anything happens to me." 

Ray gulped. 

A short time later, Sabrina was walking the streets, looking for anyone suspicious. Ray was only a few feet behind her, trailing her slowly. Sabrina hated games like this, the old fashioned games where basic communication hadn't been invented yet. There was no way she could tell Ray if she sensed danger or not. And she was. She was sensing a lot of danger right now. That she had gotten from her mother. AndrAIa was good at picking out when something was not right and the girl was glad she had inherited the skill. It had saved her from a lot of father-daughter discussions. 

She really hoped it would save her this time, too. 

She couldn't even pinpoint _why_ she wasn't liking this. Normally, she loved games and playing them. Aunt Dot had said she had gotten that from Matrix. It was good having the big lug for a father. He and AndrAIa had tried to teach her everything about survival in the games. Dad was all about training, Mom was all about senses and having fun. Not a bad way to train. Sabrina regarded herself as a very good and serious game player. She knew they weren't just for playing, a lot of things rode on a game if it wasn't won. 

Her parents found that out the hard way. 

She couldn't even imagine being trapped in the games by herself. True, her parents had each other and Frisket and User knows what would've happened if they hadn't lost that game. She probably wouldn't even be here playing _this_ game. Not that this was a good game or anything. She wished she had Frisket here right now. None of these game sprites would even _think_ of trying to do anything to her if Frisket was by her side. 

Stupid dog. Probably left on the Saucy Wench with everybody. If he wasn't so loyal... 

Sabrina stopped when she heard a noise to her right. Looking around, she realized she was now lost. She turned behind her, hoping to see Ray. Nothing. "Great." she mumbled, looking around in her area. She must've wandered into some back alley. There were apartments on either side of it and an old fashioned clothesline hung above her. 

"Good going, Matrix." she chastized herself. "Mom's always saying you think too much and what do you do? Think yourself right into a dark alleyway, on a dark street, in the dark night. I might as well scream 'Next victim, right here!' Basic, basic, basic!" 

Before Sabrina could yell at herself some more, she heard another noise, this time behind her. That overwhelming sense of danger was knocking on her head like a ball pin hammer. She quickly made a note of the apartments around. None of them had an opened window. And why should they? It was freezing outside! The only sound she could hear was breathing, though she was so scared, she wasn't sure if it was hers or the person who probably creeping up behind her. 

The girl readied herself for an attack. No kid of Matrix's was about to be attacked from behind! She held her breath. Quiet. Just quiet was met all around her. _What kind of sick freak is playing this game?!_ her mind screamed. The User was obviously the killer and he obviously was right behind her, so why wasn't he doing anything? Why wasn't he making a sound? Sabrina wanted to scream, but somehow couldn't. It was like fear had totally shut down her defenses. She looked around once more, looking for an escape. She did see a broken mirror on the ground. 

In the reflection, she could see the knife coming at her! 

* * * 

Ray could've kicked himself. 

He couldn't find Sabrina anywhere. This was not the kind of place he wanted to lose her in. He had been reluctant to let her be the bait in all this. He wasn't even sure what his duty was. Ray Tracer was not a gamer by choice, but necessity. And he quickly learned he didn't like playing them one bit. 

Sabrina had said all he had to do was follow her, keep an eye on her and when someone or something showed up, attack it and save her. That did seem relatively simple, especially when the next hand showed an angry Matrix and Ray being put into the hospital or worse. He would do anything to avoid that, even this. But now, he had lost her. 

Some savior. 

Things had been going okay, too. His eyes never left the girl as she walked far ahead of him. She said he was doing a 'tail' and hopefully, they could get to the killer before he got to them. But Ray got distracted. Some attarctive game sprite had caught his attention. Now, Ray was never one to disappoint a lady, so he gladly chatted her up, still seeing Sabrina in his sights. He nodded at one of her jokes and then politely declined to have a drink with her. 

He may be a flirt, but he was faithful. 

Though he and Mouse hadn't made the written commitment the other couples had, they had their own reasons for keeping things simple. And it suited both of them just fine. Ray loved Mouse with all his heart. She was the adventurer he had always been looking for and had found in the most unlikeliest places and under the most horrendous conditions. So, he stayed in Mainframe. It was a nice system, with nice folk, why wouldn't he like it there? And in becoming a Mainframer, he had guaranteed he would always watch out for one of their own. 

Until now. 

When the surfer had finished his conversation with the game sprite, he turned and couldn't find Sabrina. He ran the down the street where he had last seen her and couldn't see hide nor hair of her. He desperately started calling her name, hoping against hope that she was all right. All Ray could think about now was what would happen if Sabrina were to be deleted in this game. What would that mean for him? Would both live out the same fate that had beseeched her parents? 

Or would Matrix just delete Ray with one single shot? 

In all likelyhood, that was probably what was going to happen. 

* * * 

Phong watched the game cube on the large monitor in front of him. He was worried and with good reason. He knew Sabrina could take of herself and Ray if need be, but the mere fact that the only thing stopping the system from a city wide crash was in that cube frightened him. 

He hadn't heard anything from Turic since AndrAIa had called him. He was trying to remain positive. No news meant good news right? They would certainly call if something really bad had happened. He had told AndrAIa the truth when he talked to her. He was extremely worried about their welfare, not just Dot's, but everyone involved. If anything happened to Dot, the system could likely crash. The city itself would more or less be fine and he could always take up command again, but it was those who were closest to Dot that would suffer. 

And the fact that those just happened to be the city officials didn't look good either. 

The very sprites that Dot considered family were also those who oversaw the majority of Mainframe. Dot was the Command.Com. Bob sat to her left, as the system's guardian. Not to mention that he was married to her and the father of their children. Matrix, her brother, was the Security Chief, in charge of all the CPUs and any other military presence. AndrAIa Matrix, Dot's sister in law, was the System Engineer, put in charge of the system's shields and maintence. Enzo Matrix, her younger brother, had just been appointed the system's newest guardian. His orders came directly from Bob and Dot. Mouse, Dot's best friend, headed up the Web Team along with Ray Tracer. Both were skillful when it came to Web intelligence and this way the two could go on their adventures without having to be stuck in the P.O. all second. 

Already, that was practically the whole staff. 

Though Phong could easily regain his position as leader, losing Dot would be unbearable to him. Phong was the System Administrator and therefore was Dot's right hand sprite, if you will. Phong had not choosen Dot to succeed him merely on fondness. Dot was a leader. She had picked up after her parents deletion and raised her younger brother not once, but twice. She owned just about all of Mainframe anyway and had deals in many different systems, thanks to her business partner, the Crimson Binome. Her strength and devotion to the system had long since proven she was the right person to run Mainframe. 

The wise old sprite had come to regard her as his own. Losing her would truly be like losing a child. 

Phong again looked at the purple cube that sat in Beverly Hills. The people of Mainframe were already anxious as to why Dot had not returned. If anything were to happen to Sabrina and Ray while the condition of their Command.Com was to be uncertain, there would be anarchy. Phong didn't think he could go through that again. It truly saddened him when they had lost Matrix and AndrAIa to that game. It would delete Matrix should, User forbid, Dot deleted and then for him to come home and find his only daughter had been taken with the games...he would not take it well, to say the least. 

Phong hoped AndrAIa had kept her promise. If Matrix and Enzo were swept back into the void they had after their parents' death, he seriously doubt they would come back. He was still unsure what had happened exactly. The official word was the boy had caught the Melissa virus and with his current shock and depression over his parents, his defenses shut down and the virus started a winning battle. The young sprite lay critical for two cycles before he returned, not remembering anything that had happened. Phong read the schematics once more. Everything seemed to be normal, or so he hoped. 

He hoped his friends were fine. If not...User help Mainframe. 

* * * 

The Saucy Wench had been beached. 

The crew and the ship were now in some system not too far from Turic, a place called Symmons. The system looked all right, seemingly saved from all the bug business that plagued the neighboring system. Gavin walked the docks for the hundredth time. He just couldn't understand what had happened. When they left Turic, the ship seemed to be fine, but as soon as they portalled out, Mr. Andrews had noticed a brench in the side. 

The hole was now causing damage to the interior of the ship. Making an emergency stop, they landed in Symmons. The Command.Com had welcomed them and said they would look in to fixing their transportation, but the mechanic said the repairs would take some time. 

Time that the crew didn't have. 

The hole was large enough for it to be an extra doorway leading inside and out. The mechanic explained that whatever happened, it looked as though something had eaten its way through. It would take at least a couple of millis, maybe even a second for the damage to be repaired. Gavin sighed, nodding his head. That's when he started walking the docks. It didn't make sense. Something wasn't quite right to the captain. He suspected sabatoge. That hole wasn't there when they arrived in Turic and the crew had been inside the ship the whole time. 

An inside job, maybe? 

Gavin shook his head. This crew would give their life for the lass Dot Matrix and to hear she had been attacked had got the crew up in arms. It was something else. Someone or something had deliberately put a hole in the side of Wench, almost insuring they wouldn't be able to make it back to Mainframe in order to retrieve the medicine Dot needed so much. Capacitor didn't like it. Not one bit. It was almost as if someone wanted to keep Dot hanging on for dear life. Gavin stopped in his tracks. 

He had a few suspicions about that. 

* * * 

Sabrina had never been so scared in her life. She valued her gaming experience and felt that surely nothing would ever happen to her in a game. But now, as her eyes transfixed on a very large and shiny knife looming over her head, she wasn't so sure. 

She had heard the story. Dad thought he was a big shot guardian until he got into a game that he couldn't win. That's how he had lost his eye. He was the one who had been dead set against her playing the games. _"This is something that a little kid can't handle" he had said._ He had been worried, as any father would be, but something in him changed and he let her go, as long as she was with him or AndrAIa or Bob or Enzo. Now that she thought about it, this was really the first time she had been in a game by herself. Yes she had Ray and Ray was an adult, but she had never been in with someone who didn't have as much experience as she did. 

And right now, she didn't have Ray. 

_Where is he?_ she thought. _Wasn't he right behind me?_ What a time for the dashing surfer to be flirting with some girl. Ray wouldn't let her down though. She knew that. He'd be coming soon. She hoped. Time seemed to be stopped as soon as she saw that knife. No one moved. Not her, not the killer, no one in the apartments surrounding her. She wanted to turn around, look her murderer in the eye, but gravity held her still. She wondered if this what it felt like before you deleted or at least in her little Net, what happens before you get carried off by a menacing game. 

She couldn't help but think what was going on in Turic. She knew Dot had been attacked and that was about it. She wasn't basic though. She knew exactly what happened when a sprite or binome was attacked by a bug and she knew the hope wasn't going to be good for her aunt. And things weren't looking up for her either. She couldn't imagine what would happen if she lost this game and was trapped on the Net with Ray, just like her parents. Of course, she and Ray wouldn't be falling in love (wouldn't her Dad just _love_ that?), but at least she wouldn't be alone. And of course they would come back, wouldn't they? Matrix and AndrAIa did, so what said that she and Ray wouldn't return to their normal lives back in Mainframe one second? 

But then, when or if they returned, things would probably not be the same. 

Kit would probably be all grown up and married with kids, living out of the system he was born in. Or aiding Phong in some way. He was good at stuff like that, science and all. Must take after his doctor grandparents. His parents would be aging, getting up the hours. AndrAIa would probably look like she did now, only older. Matrix though...Sabrina knew he wasn't playing with a full deck. He hadn't since he lost that game when he was little. If she were to become lost in the games, he'd probably crash for sure. The girl hated knowing she would be the reason for her father's deteriorating sanity. Especially if Dot deleted. 

Sabrina's eyes got big as the knife came at her. 

* * * 

Kit woke up alone on the little bench in the makeshift waiting room. Looking at the clock, he saw that it was well after 2400. The boy yawned and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. That was actually the best sleep he had had since landing in Turic. With everything that had been going on, he was a wreck. He couldn't bear the thought that his mother wouldn't be okay. She had to be! 

Looking around the room, he saw why he had been awaken. His pillow was gone. He remembered he and Enzo had been playing cards and then they went and sat on the bench he now called bed. He must've fallen asleep in his uncle's lap. But now his uncle, not to mention his father, his aunt, and other uncle, were now gone. He did notice Kalyle Daniels was nowhere in sight, a fact which slightly annoyed and worried the boy. 

If the cadet was gone, that could only mean trouble. 

Kit stood from his 'bed' and stretched. He decided he would go and find the cadet and bring him back to the waiting room. Kit wasn't sure if it was a wise idea to go and talk to the young guardian. He did after all attack him earlier. But Kit didn't mean to do it (well, in his heart, he knew he did). It was just when he got mad, he really couldn't control his powers that well. Other than that, he didn't even _use_ them. Sure, he thought they were cool when he first realized he had them, but he didn't really have a use for them. Matrix, Enzo, and his Dad were guardians. Kit didn't need to make a portal or do things of that nature. 

So he didn't use them. Unless forced to. 

That cadet had almost guaranteed Kit would use them on him. The boy sighed, shaking his head. _He probably wanted me to do that,_ he thought. Kalyle Daniels was everything that spelled trouble to the boy. Not just his personal safety, but that of his family and his system. Kit couldn't wait until this bug problem was solved, then Daniels would be gone for good. Continuing his thoughts, Kit started walking towards the little kitchen that was down the hall. He immediately stopped though when he heard voices. 

"I just talked to Del Centro, the Command.Com." 

Kit perked up. That was definitely his Dad he heard. So all the adults, minus one, were standing here in the hallway. But what was so important he couldn't wait to tell everyone? Kit crouched down around the corner and continued to listen. 

"The news isn't good. There're still more binomes and sprites coming in and no antitoxin. She's fighting it some way. I'm surprised she's still holding out." 

No antitoxin? Kit had not heard about this. Without that antitoxin, his Mom was gone for sure. Maybe his Dad had gathered everyone because he had a plan of some sort. That had to be it! 

"But how?" Uncle Enzo, Kit determined. 

"I don't know how she's doing it, she just is. Thank the User for that. If she can hang out for a little longer..." 

Kit couldn't believe his ears. His Dad was actually doubting that his mother, the guardian's wife, could hold on. Kit didn't know much about these bugs, but he knew nothing could stop Dot Matrix. That was just a given. 

"Bob, we don't got that kinda time!" Matrix exclaimed. 

And now Matrix. His mother's own brother didn't believe she had a chance either. What was wrong with these people!? This was Dot Matrix they were discussing. Of course she would be okay! 

"Remember, we have our own problems in Mainframe, and it isn't looking too good either." 

That had been AndrAIa. _What was that about Mainframe?_ Kit wondered. He listened closely as AndrAIa related back everything Phong had told her. So, Mainframe was being hit by bugs too. They had to do something, but surely they weren't about to leave until his Mom was okay. He continued his eavesdropping and found that everyone planned to stay, to his relief. When it sounded as though the conversation was winding down, Kit quickly walked away and back in the waiting room. 

What a stalemate indeed! Even if they wanted to, they certainly couldn't go back to Mainframe, at least not right away. But what kind of shape was Mainframe in? They had already been in Turic for two nights straight and it didn't look as though they would be leaving tomorrow either. Where the Net were the pirates? They had left soon after word of Dot's condition reached them. They should've been back by now. Kit didn't like the situation they faced. Things were going from bad to worse in a big hurry. 

Kit sighed again and looked across the hall at the door of his mother's room. He headed for it. He was in a jumble of confusion and whenever he felt that way, his mother would be there for him. Stopping at the door, he wondered if this would be the last time he could confide in her. He shook his head. He was sounding just as bad as Bob and Matrix right now. He opened the door quietly and slipped in. He noticed Mouse sitting in the nearby chair, eyes closed, head back, and snoring softly with her mouth opened. If he hadn't been in here for a reason, he would've had some nice blackmail material. 

Walking over to the bed and trying not to disturb Mouse, the boy knelt down next to his mother's bed. She _wasn't_ looking good! His mother's beautiful face was now pale and little beads of sweat dripped onto the pillow. Kit could've cried right then and there. He wouldn't be able to survive if he lost her. He couldn't imagine how Enzo and Matrix survived without any parents. Just his mother. Not that she did a bad job. Matrix and Enzo were the best, any kid would be proud to have them as uncles. "Mom?" he whispered, watching her face for a reply. When he didn't see one coming, he continued. 

"Mom, I don't know what to do." he said. "Everything's all random and stuff and we got so many problems right now." Kit sniffed, blinking back the formation of a tear. "You can't delete, Mom. You just can't. What'll happen to me and Dad and the twins? We need you. And what about Matrix and Enzo? They'll totally go offline if you go." 

The boy wiped a stray tear from his eye. "Tell me what to do, Mom." he said, determination in his voice. "Tell me what I can do to make you better. You say it and I'll do it. Anything. Anything at all!" 

"You could try cleaning your room once." came the soft reply. 

Kit sobbed out a laugh as Dot turned her head to look at him. "Done." he said, gulping. "I'll clean the Diner too if you want. Anything." Dot reached up and touched the side of his face. The very action caused pain, but as soon as she made contact with her son's face, she forgot about it. 

"You're so sweet." she whispered, cupping the side of his face. "It's sweet of you to worry. You're a lot like me, you know? And Bob too. You have both our qualities. We're so proud of you." 

"Mom, I'm sorry I snuck aboard the Wench." Kit sobbed. "I just wanted to make sure you and Dad were okay." 

"I know, sweetie." she said, looking into his eyes. The boy had a lot of qualities about him from both parents, sometimes it was hard to distingushed them from each other. He was caring and compassionate for the well being of others, something he had gotten from both parents. He wouldn't hesitate to put someone else's needs above his own. 

"Don't delete, Mom, okay? Don't!" 

"You know I love you, Christopher." 

Even talking was getting hard. Dot wasn't sure how much longer she could fight the venom that invaded her system. Every fight only caused more pain and sometimes she had just wanted to give up. To stop fighting. She was always fighting in some battle. First Megabyte, then Daemon, then Megabyte again, and now this. Every time she went to sleep, she hit that line between life and deletion and so many times she had wanted to cross it, but thoughts of her life and her family kept her holding on, wanting to fight her way out of this. 

Even now as she looked in the eyes of her son, she was in a losing battle. 

Kit watched as Dot closed her eyes and her hand went limp from his face. "Mom?" Her hand was warm and she looked peaceful. Kit thought about leaving, letting his mother rest, but at this stage, he had to be sure she was indeed resting. "Mom?" he asked again, squeezing her hand. When he didn't feel a squeeze back, he panicked. "Mom, wake up." he said, shaking her shoulder. Nothing. Not even a murmur in protest. "Mom, wake up!" Kit called, this time shaking her a little more roughly. That had awoken Mouse, who nearly fell out of her chair. Kit was calling and he wasn't getting any answer. 

"Mom? Mom? MOM!" 

* * * 

Ray was panicked beyond belief. He had been down several streets looking for Sabrina and each time, he came up empty. Where was she? She couldn't have gotten that far. A horrible reality set into his processor. She had gotten five steps and the killer could've taken her. Ray hadn't heard that familiar, ominious voice ring overhead, so at least he could be thankful she was still processing. 

But for how long? 

The surfer decided to back space to places he had been through before. He just hoped the killer wasn't smart, that would enable him to find the bloke and off him and end this horrible game. Ray did not like this at all. His only source for this game was now gone and he didn't have a clue where he was going. Soon, he ended up lost. 

Ray looked around, hoping to find something that was open or someone who was still up, but he didn't see anything. He was in some back alley, surrounded by at least three apartment buildings. And none looked like they were the kindly, friendly type that would let a guy in for some hot tea and bisquits. The more he looked around, the more frightened he got. Ray was not one to be intimated by anyone (save for Mouse, Dot, and Matrix when they got their dander up) and he certainly wasn't afraid of anything (save for Matrix. Just an every second occurance), but now he was just plain scared. 

He had lost an 8 hour old girl in the dark, dank creepiness of a game, with a serial killer, could turn out to be anyone. 

This was not good. This was most definitely not good. 

* * * 

Phong once again raised his eyes to the large screen that was in front of him. A fresh cup of cocoa in his hands, Phong held the only thing that gave him comfort right now. He had just received a vidwindow from Gavin Capacitor. The Saucy Wench and her crew had been detained in another system, still far from Mainframe and now, far from Turic as well. Capacitor had said they were grounded and would be for some time, as the mechanic had told him. 

Phong didn't like it. 

Too many things were happening all at once. The boys in the lab were still working on a possible solution to their problems and it looked as though the Matrixes' work was not working. The work was in the theory of course. In the old seconds, systems didn't have problems with bugs. They weren't the huge threat they are now. And to know that the super virus Daemon was somehow controlling them... Phong had merely nodded, deep in thought. The captain had mentioned possible sabatoge to the ship. It certainly left them in a bad predicament. 

Just one problem after another. 

If the pirates were stuck in another system, that meant help for Dot would be slowed by at least a second, time Phong was sure the Command.Com didn't have. He still hadn't heard any word from Turic and the citizens of Mainframe were antsy. Worse yet, word had come that Cyrus, one of Megabyte's drones, had been seen in the system. If that didn't make Phong uneasy, the fact that the game still stood in Beverly Hills had him down right scared. 

If anything should happen to Ray Tracer and Sabrina Matrix... 

Phong didn't even want to think about it. He had faith. He had faith that the game was going well and that it was apparently an extended game that wasn't so easy to solve. He had faith in Sabrina's abilities as a gamer, despite the fact she was a child. She had AndrAIa's spirit and Matrix's determination. If anyone were to survive this, it would be Sabrina Matrix. 

Phong also had faith that the staff would be coming back from Turic at any nano. Dot had been attacked, yes, but this was Dot Matrix. Phong had never known a sprite as strong and persistent as Dot. She would fine and she and the others would return safely. And they would plan an attack as soon as they returned. Things would be fine in the system again, just as they were whenever they had been faced with danger. The viruses they had tangled with had found out Mainframe wasn't a push over system. Things would be all right. 

Phong was counting on it. 

* * * 

Sabrina screamed. 

As loud as she could, she screamed. She was not going down without a fight. She turned and faced her attacker, nails extended and all ready for a showdown. If she hadn't been screaming for her safety, she would've screamed at the sight of her would be killer. She was sure he was rather hansome and cute by day, but in the dark of night, he was all but. His face was expressionless, even as she screamed, he showed no emotion. 

Ray knew that scream and it wasn't very far from where he was. 

Tracer took off in the direction the scream was coming from. He may actually have a chance at aving the girl before things got terribly out of hand. He turned at a corner and ran down a similiar alley. Towards the end, he stopped. He could see her and the killer. The User he assumed, had her by the neck and was branishing a knife in her direction. Sabrina was trying to fight him, having actually used her nails, but the killer wasn't showing any signs that the trick had worked. 

Ray ran towards the scene, searching his pockets for anything that could possibly help his young friend. The surfer had to actually stop and look through his pocket carefully. "Ray, help!" came the cry. Ray looked up to see Sabrina losing her fight and worse, no one in the area had even thought to check out their windows to see what was happening. His hand came across what felt like a gun in his hip pocket. Taking it out, Ray aimed for the killer. 

**GAME OVER!**

The purple cube finally lifted from the sector. Phong finally expelled the breath he had been holding since it's arrival. He quickly sent a vidwindow to Ray and Sabrina to see if they were all right. Meanwhile, Ray stood looking around at their surroundings. He'd done it. He had actually gotten out of there alive and best yet, he had gotten Sabrina out as well. He would have been content at his thoughts, until something knocked him backwards to the ground. 

"Ohwow,Ray,thankssomuchIthoughtIwasagoner! WhatintheNettookyousolonganyways? Wereyouflirtingorsomething?Don'tmakemehave totellMouseoranything,causeyouknowshe'dbemadand..." 

The celebration was interupted when a vidwindow appeared in front of the duo. "Oh hey, Phong." Bri said casually, forgetting her barrage of questions to Ray. 

"I take it that everything went well in the game?" the old sprite asked, chuckling to himself. 

"Ah yeah." she said. "Easy as pi. Right Ray?" 

The surfer shook his head clear. "Phong, promise me one thing." he said. 

"What is that?" 

"Don't _ever_ let me do something like that again!" 

* * * 

Kalyle was once again standing on the steps of the Principal Office when he heard people come up behind him. "What're you doing out here?" Matrix asked, coming up along side the young sprite. 

"We're in big trouble." he simply said, not addressing anyone in particular and not looking at any of them. 

"And how do you figure that?" AndrAIa asked, sarcastically. 

"For a game sprite, you're not very smart." Kalyle started. Matrix instinctively had the sprite by the shirt as soon as he said it. Kalyle wasn't intimated as he had been when he first met the sprite. They were doomed and quite frankly, he wasn't sure if he wanted to stop fate. "I hope you can show your ugly mug to those soldiers that start coming by." he continued, staring the large sprite in the eye. 

"Matrix, let him go." Bob said. Matrix relinquished the boy, but still held him in suspicion. 

"You four have no idea what we're up against, do you?" Kalyle smirked. "It's laughable really. Here you are, worried about one sprite, when the whole Net, every system, every city, is in grave danger. You think that after we fight one big battle, the war's over? Hardly, kiddies. While you four have been boo hooing over some nameless data sprite, I've been out here, watching. Waiting. You think some bugs gonna by pass here cause you're three guardians strong? HA! I told you when that solider attacked her, we weren't safe. Not safe at all. Don't blame me when everyone in this system deletes cause of your little problem." 

"Just where do you get off, 'our little problem'?" Enzo huffed, standing up to Kalyle. "If it wasn't for my sister, you wouldn't have any plan of attack. You wouldn't even have something that was close to a clue for all the victims. But no. That doesn't interest you. As long as your little situation is handled, to the Net with everyone else." 

"You think I'm joking, Guardian Matrix?" Kalyle asked, making his advancement on Enzo. "Maybe you don't need me to help get rid of these bugs, huh?" 

"Maybe we don't." 

It definitely looked like another fight was brewing between the two young guardians. Bob stepped in to try and intervene. This was not the time nor the place for the sprites in their group to be self destructing. Bob hadn't been joking. He did plan to have a talk with Turbo as soon as this thing was over. Bob knew they could handle Daniels if need be, but to let him out to do this to other systems and sprites was totally out of the question. Bob had never met someone who was so condesending, so wrapped up in their own little Net... 

Oh wait. Yes he had known someone like that. Some virus by the name of Megabyte. 

A noise in the distance stopped AndrAIa's involvement into seeing another fight between the two. After a few nanos, the whole group heard the noise. Everyone's movements stopped, as they trained their ears to the sound. "What was that?" Bob asked. 

"They're coming." Kalyle said, backing down from Enzo and walking to the front of the steps. 

And then they were everywhere. 

Workers scuried out from hiding places where they been observing, where they had been waiting. At first there was about twenty, then it grew to fifty, then ninety, until the group of five were totally surounded. AndrAIa had taken out at least sixteen with her nails alone. Quickly extending her trident, she set about taking out ten more. Matrix had a little more luck. He just stood and fired at the bugs that dared to come near him. But as he shot down five, seven came. Then he shot those seven and ten more came at him. Quickly checking the energy cell, he realized he'd be out of ammo soon. 

Enzo and Bob were backed against the doors of the P.O. Even if they wanted to get inside, the chance these bugs could follow was very high. So they blocked the door, Bob shooting energy beams, Enzo using Deco to shot. Kalyle was up front, taking on as many bugs as he could. With his keytool, he just kept aiming and shooting, then he retrieved his sword and began slashing at whatever came at him. Finally, the odds were at least even and pretty much taken care of. Kalyle backed up the steps to join the others. 

"Is that it?" AndrAIa asked, surveying for more. 

"I hope so." Matrix said. "I'm out of ammo." 

"Crover, stats." Kalyle said, glancing at his keytool. He looked at it in confusion, then at his companions. 

"Well?" Bob asked. "Any more?" 

Kalyle shook his head. "Looks like we're in the clear, but..." 

"But what?" AndrAIa asked. 

"This is random." Kalyle said. "Totally random." 

"What?" Enzo exclaimed. 

"That was the last of them." the cadet replied, his face reflecting his disbelief. "I mean, there's still some workers in the area, but the soliders are gone. It's like they just..." 

A vidwindow popped in front of the quintet. Mouse had a worried look on her face as she saw the others. "Mouse, what is it?" Bob asked. "What's wrong?" 

Mouse struggled with her words. She didn't know how to say it. "It's Dot." she said. "I think she's..." 

The boys didn't wait to hear the rest. 

* * * 

Kit couldn't believe it. He just couldn't. 

There was no way his Mom as deleted. 

She had been fine until he came in. Now, she was flickering. He had never seen anyone flicker before, not even in a game. The boy was inconsolable. He lay by his mother's side, holding on to her, desperately trying to bring her back. He knew that one of the doctors had come in and was talking to Mouse about something. She had left, probably delivering the news to the family...but it wasn't true. 

She was flickering, yes, but she wasn't gone. She wasn't gone. 

"Kit, honey," Mouse said, touching the boy's shoulder. 

"Leave me alone!" he cried. 

Mouse hated seeing him like this. He was just a boy and now he had to go through something only his mother and uncles knew about. The death of a parent. Mouse had experienced that, too, but she had been much older when that happened and she had dealt with it, but she knew this family wouldn't be able to. Especially not Bob. He would have to raise three children by himself. 

One of the doctors came by the bedside. The sprite was leaving as quickly as he moved. "Come on, son," he said talking to Kit. When he tried to touch Dot's hand, Kit kicked it away, screaming "Don't touch her!" The boy looked into his mother's face. She was fading away, he could see it now. But surely she could hear him somewhere. Could tell she was about to leave and she would come back. "Mom, wake up please." he begged, tears falling from his eyes. "Mom, you gotta wake up." The boy sat up, his hand on his mother's icon. It wasn't true. It couldn't be true. 

"Kit honey, why don't..." Mouse tried another attempt. 

Kit actually aimed a fist at her. "Get away from me!" he exclaimed, his little face contorted with rage and sadness. She wasn't gone. She was still there. 

The doctor shook his head. It was always hardest on the children. He had seen too many cases like this. The children always believed their parent would come back, but it was never to be. Dot would be flickering out and the bed would be empty. No trace of it's occupant. The doctor watched the boy, still pleading for his mother's return. The boy was so upset, he was actually shaking with grief. He hoped the boy's father would come in soon. He had to remove the bed and clean it thoroughly. He had other patients to attend to as well. 

Kit was about to explode. How could she do this to him? How could she just leave like that? Those stupid bugs. They were going to pay. They had deleted his mother, his loving, wonderful mother. Just think what he was going to do to them. He didn't care if it took all his life, he was going to find the exact bug who did this. It didn't matter what it took to do it, but he would do it. User, he was so mad right now, he couldn't think straight. As he could see were images of his family, laughing and playing. 

_They were playing at Floating Point Park. He and Sabrina were chasing after Frisket, his parents were having a pinic under a tree. The twins were to the side, giggling like babies do as Dad made faces at them. Then Mom would smile and kiss him on the cheek._

Kit had been trying to control his grief, his anger, but it all turned into a big mess. His emotions were banging against his body, each one demanding to be heard. With a curdled scream, he let out his emotions. Before he knew what happened, Bob had grabbed him and was holding him in his arms. 

Kit looked over at Dot, her body had risen slightly from the bed and settled back down again. Kit realized his actions. He had shocked her. He had shocked her and had deleted her. She flickered again, stronger than the previous times before. He had just sealed his mother's fate. "I deleted her." he said in a hushed and awed whisper. He then began to cry again, truly undertsnading what he had done. "I just deleted my own mother!" 

The room was silent. 

Mouse surveyed the hushed crowd. Kit was hysterical, exclaiming he had just murdered his mother. AndrAIa was trying to get some response from Matrix and Enzo. The two seemed to be shell shocked. And Bob. Poor Bob could only just stand and watch as the love of life flickered in and out, probably for the last time. Mouse, too, was crushed. It would be hard going back to Mainframe and telling everyone about Dot's deletion. The system was pretty much doomed. The doctor again shook his head. He just waited for the final flicker. 

But it never came. 

In fact, Dot was growing stronger. The doctor ckecked her again, to make sure things were all right. She was still slightly pale, but seemed to be regaining her color. "I don't uunderstand." he muttered, causing Bob to look at him. The doc turned and faced the guardian. "She's still weak, but I think she's actually pulling through." 

"What?" 

Bob smacked himself in the forehead. How could he be so basic! "That's why she's still fighting the infection." he murmured, shaking his head. He couldn't believe he hadn't thought of this before. 

"Whatcha talkin' about, Bob?" Mouse asked. 

"Dot has part of my code." Bob stated to the confused looks. 

"So you mean there's something in the guardian codes that stops the infection?" AndrAIa asked. 

"It doesn't stop it, merely takes a defensive stance." Bob turned to look at Kit. "Though I'm not sure how..." 

"You mean I saved Mom's life?" Kit asked. He had gone from his mother's killer to his mother's savior all in the span of five nanos. 

"Well, you certainly gave her a wake up call, sugah." Mouse said, patting the boy on the back. 

"Then she's gonna be okay." Enzo said, a smile coming to his face. 

"Not for long." The doctor jumped in. They were all getting way too excited. "She's in the same shape as before, only a little stronger, but don't count on her surviving without..." 

"Guardian!" came a cry. Del Centro burst in through the doors and smiled at everyone. "You'll never guess what I found." 

"An extra amount of the antitoxin." Matrix said, dejectedly. 

"Exactly." Del said, raising his hand. In it was a small vile of a pinkish-blue substance. "I had to search around, just to make sure, and found just enough for one sprite. I figured you guys were sick of being stuck here." 

A joyious noise rang in the room. It looked like Dot would be okay. "Dude, do you know what this means?" Enzo asked, already excited at the prospect. 

"We're going home." Bob replied. "We're going home!"   


**Chapter 12 - The Master Plan**

A group of sprites stood in bay twelve of the Principal Office. Of all the things it had lost, the ship bay was in reasonable condition and suited the needs of the group. Del Centro was shaking hands with a remarkable sprite. In all his seconds and minutes of the bugs raiding his system, he had never known of someone who made such a spectacular recovery. 

Until he met Dot Matrix. 

Her family, nor her friends seemed very surprised about the healing process the young Command.Com had gone through. They thought it to be as natural as the second itself. Del could only smile in pleasure. He had been worried about Dot and her family. He had lost his own family to those disgusting creatures. To see another family destroyed by them was not his wish and he was so glad that she had made it through. He now saw her and her group off for their journey back home. 

"I can't begin to thank you, Del." Dot replied, shaking the sprite's hand. 

"Thank me?" Del questioned, laughing at the sentiment. "It's me who should be thanking you. I don't know how you managed to it, but you've saved my system." He got quiet, his face looking solemn. "Thank you for coming, Dot." he continued. "You have no idea how happy I am that you're all right." 

"I share the same thought." Dot joked. She put her arm around Kit, who had been standing next to her. Ever since she had been given the antitoxin, the boy refused to leave her side. "I'll battle back, don't worry." she replied. "I just hope you'll be able to put this system back to where it once was." 

"We're lucky, that's for sure." he said, looking around. "Don't worry. I'll have this place back before you can say, 'The system that stays together, works together.'" Dot laughed at the joke. 

"Hey!" Mouse called from the side of Ship. "Y'all know I ain't one for long goodbyes, so let's move 'em out!" The hacker then walked up the plank and into the body of the ship. 

"That's our cue, Kitten." Dot said, looking down at Kit. The boy smiled and held out his hand to Del. 

"It was certainly nice meeting you, Sir." he said, as Del took his offered hand and shook it. 

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Son." Del said, leaning over to talk to the boy. "You're a marvelous boy. You make your parents proud." 

"We certainly are." Dot whispered, looking at her son. 

The trio again said their goodbyes and then mother and son boarded their transportation home. Bob clapped Del on the back and shook his hand. "If you need anything, anything at all..." 

"I know who to call, Guardian." Del laughed. He motioned towards the ship, where Mouse was waiting for Bob. "Go on." he said. "I don't think she's gonna wait any longer." 

Bob said a final goodbye and boarded. Mouse smiled at the Command.Com before going inside. Del waved a final time as the ship began to raise and lift into the sky. A portal opened and Ship went right on through. "Be careful, my friends." Del whispered as the portal started to close. "Be very careful." 

* * * 

Hexadecimal flew through the skies of Mainframe. She could see the little binomes on the street looking up and pointing as she flew towards the Principal Office. She got a slight rise at knowing she could still cause fear among the people of the system, but she also had a pang of sadness. After all she had done to help them, save their puny little system, they still treated her as an outcast. It didn't matter if Bob had healed her and she had an icon now, she would always be a virus to them. 

Hex shook off the pain and continued her flight to the P.O. She had to see Phong right away. She had been observing things in Mainframe and something had come to her attention that the acting Command. Com needed to know. Flying overhead, she noticed Ray and Sabrina right in front of her. She liked that surfer. Apparently so did the hacker. Hex and Mouse were not best friends, even after everything they had been through. At least Dot gave her the time of second. Whenever she had it. 

She tolerated Sabrina though, despite her lineage. 

The girl was tough and smart like her mother, but had a temper to rival that of her father's. The girl and the little boy, Bob and Dot's son, were the exceptions. They treated the virus with respect, even if their families did not. As to whether or not either child liked the virus wasn't the point to Hex. She hoped they did like her of course, but if they didn't...well, they were certainly hiding the fact. "You hoo!" she called, waving her hand in the air. 

Ray and Sabrina stopped and turned to see Hex flying right at them. "Hello Miss Hexadecimal." Ray replied, giving the ex-virus a smile. Ray had heard and seen some of the stuff Hex could do and he wasn't about to get the girl riled up. "Aren't you the gentleman!?" Hex cooed, sliding up next to Ray. 

"Hey, Hexy." Sabrina replied. "What's processing?" 

"Oh, I was just heading over to see Phong." Hex replied, making eyes at Ray. 

"You got something?" Sabrina asked. 

"I may have some...information to discuss." Hex said, coolly. 

"Then you won't mind coming back with us then." Sabrina said, glaring at the virus. 

Hexadecimal glared at the child before continuing on her route towards the Principal Office. "Didn't your parents ever teach you how to respect your elders?" she called behind her. 

"No." Sabrina said, as she and Ray caught up to the virus. "They also didn't teach me how to share either." With a wink, the girl pushed her zipboard faster, making a game out of who could make it to the P.O. first. 

The three soon reached the front doors of the domed building and headed straight for the command center. Phong was already there, waiting for them. "I have good news my friends." he said, addressing two of the sprites that walked in. "All is well in Turic." 

"That's wonderful, Phong." Ray replied, a smile on his face. 

"Does this mean everybody's coming back?" Sabrina asked, excitedly. When Phong nodded, she exclaimed in happiness and hugged Ray tightly. She was about to hug Hex, but stopped and said to Phong, "Hex has to tell you something." 

"I've been watching things in my looking glass, old sprite." Hex replied, walking past him and leaning on the front console. "I'm sure you know the binomes are getting...antsy." 

"I'm aware of that, yes." Phong replied. "And I believe we have a problem." 

"The natives are starting something?" Sabrina asked. 

"Precisely," Phong said. "And I believe I know the culprit behind this." 

"Well, who?" Ray asked. 

"Cyrus." 

"Cyrus?" Sabrina asked. She had heard the name and the deeds he had done. She thought the little weasel had left Mainframe. "That little grease monkey who worked for Megabyte? What the Net is he doing back here?" 

"Starting trouble, young sprite." Hex answered. "But if Phong gives me the word, he won't be trouble any longer." 

"We will wait for our staff's return before we take action." Phong said, whirling out of the room. "It will give the people heart that their Command.Com is safe and sound." 

"What about our little buggy problem, mate?" Ray asked, following the sprite. 

"That too will wait until their safe return." 

"Phong..." 

The wise, old sprite stopped and turned. "We must first make sure Dot and the others are all right." he said, sternly. "To do anything before that would be rude and very uncalled for. Is this understood?" 

"Yes, Phong." came the responses. 

"Good." The sprite again turned and headed off. "We will meet them in bay five." 

* * * 

Turbo sat at his desk in his office at the Guardian Academy. The Prime Guardian let out a sigh, as he leaned back in his chair. Looking at a screen in front of him, he watched as the blips representing more systems were turning black, a sign that they were permanently offline. The bugs had taken their toll. But on a happier note, more systems were coming back around, picking up the pieces that had been their life and home. But he was still troubled. He hadn't heard from anyone who had been sent to Turic, but he knew the situation. He had heard from a contact there that worked in the medical unit. 

The system was on the brink of collapse. 

More victims were coming in. 

The Command.Com of Mainframe was attacked by a soldier. 

There was no more antitoxin. 

The group sent to help was falling apart and the anger seemed to be turned on one sprite. 

Turbo didn't even have to guess as who the contact was referring. Cadet Daniels, of course. Turbo had heard this complaint a thousand times before, from different systems the cadet had been to. Turbo had talked to the lad, told him to be a bit more sympathetic, more compassionate, but it all fell on deaf ears. Back in the old seconds, Daniels would've been out for his behavior. But Turbo had always looked the other way. 

He felt pity and sorrow for the boy. 

Turbo had known Kalyle's parents. They were good people. Kind, caring. But when the bugs came to Delphi, they ruined the system, deleted all that stood in the way. Including Carter, Voyetra, Linx, and Tommy Daniels. Kalyle had been devastated and why shouldn't he? His family was now a memory. Since that time, Kalyle lived in a shell, protecting him from any kind of emotion. When he saw it being displayed, he immediately would turn away, disgusted. The boy was a shell of his former self. 

And now, the Mainframers trapped in Turic were converging on him. Turbo knew he'd be hearing from one of them before this was over. The Prime Guardian felt sorry for the boy. Maybe it was jealousy. A jealous and broken heart knowing he couldn't have any special times with his family anymore. And it looked like Bob wouldn't have that luxury either. Dot was surely a goner. A bug sting is one thing, but attacked by a soldier? She wouldn't come through. And that meant neither would Mainframe. Turbo had learned something about Mainframe long ago. They stuck together and the loss of one, no matter how big or small, was felt by all. 

The system would surely fall apart at the news of her death. 

Apparently, the cracks were beginning. There was no way Bob could bounce back from this. And certainly not Dot's brothers. The elder Matrix boy was already slightly unstable, the loss of his sister could push him over the edge. Enzo had just graduated. He would be just as bad as Kalyle Daniels when he started his life as a full fledged Guardian. Turbo sighed again. He wish he could know something more of what was going on. 

"Turbo..." 

A vid window's appearance to his right alerted the prime that his thoughts would have to wait. He already knew who the person on the other end was and what they wanted. 

"I hope I'm not disturbing you." 

"Not at all, Bob." Turbo replied, looking at his friend. 

Turbo was slightly disturbed to see him though. The blue Guardian looked haggard, worn, just plain... old. Older than his youthfulness would suggest at a different time. Stubble lined his face and dark bags had formed under his eyes. He looked tired, but happy. Almost relived. 

"What can I do for you, Bob?" Turbo asked. 

"I need to talk to you." 

"Is Dot okay?" 

Bob smiled. "So you've heard what's been going on." he said, eyeing the P.G. "I'm not even going to ask how you know, but yeah. She's okay. She's recovering, but she'll be back to new once we're home." 

"Thank the User." Turbo breathed. "I had been really worried for a..." 

"Turbo, we have a problem." Bob interrupted, his smile disappearing and his face completely serious. 

"Bob, I already know what you're going to say." Turbo said. At the confused look he was given, the Prime Guardian continued. "I know he's a handful, Bob. And I've given him warning after warning." 

"You could always..." 

"Kick him out of the Collective?" Turbo finished. "I have threatened him with that, yes, but I can never go through with it. I can't explain it, Bob. He's not...he's not as...fortunate as you are." 

"Explain that, could you?" Bob asked, sarcastically. 

Turbo sighed. He didn't want to make excuses for the cadet, but... "I knew his parents, Bob. They were good people. Wonderful people. And they're gone now, along with Kalyle's two brothers. I don't know, Bob. He's not as...lucky as you, I guess. He can't go home to a family like you can. His brothers are never going to play football with him and his son. Maybe it's jealousy, I don't know. I just know deep down, he's a good kid." 

Bob studied Turbo's face for a moment. "Turbo," he started. "You of all people know what I've gone through, what my family has gone through and what my friends have gone through. We've defeated three, count them, _three_ viruses, I've survived the Web, my brother and sister in law have survived game hopping, my wife has survived the psychological torment by a power hungry, demented virus. We've survived games, Web creatures, Web Riders, infected guardians, infection by a super virus, and now we're going up against big, nasty, scary bugs." 

The blue guardian paused a nano to let his words sink in. 

"After all of that, don't get give me some sad sob story about a kid who doesn't have a family anymore." Bob continued. "You want to hear a real sob story? How about this? Once upon a time, there was a loving family by the name Matrix. One second, Dr. Matrix blew up their home system, leaving his children, Dot and Enzo, all alone in the sister city of Mainframe. All was going good. Dot had some businesses, Enzo was in school, they even got a guardian, namely me. Everything was coming together. Enzo even found a little friend with whom he could play with. Then one second, a big bad Web creature came into town and brought his little friends. Bob made a _huge_ error of judgment by teaming up with the local viruses. They in turn sent Bob to the cold, dark, dank Web. Then, they set about to try and destroy the system." 

"Bob..." 

"But there was hope. Little Enzo Matrix had been made a guardian and was going to defend his home. Unfortunately, the power hungry virus had other plans and tried to shoot the boy's confidence down. Just when Enzo was getting his confidence back, he, AndrAIa, and their dog lost a game. Using their icons as game sprites, they were able to live and then began to game hop in order to find their way home. I can't begin to tell you the stories I've heard so far on what they had to do." 

"Bob, if I said anything to..." 

"Back home in Mainframe, Dot was a mess. She had lost her brother, her only living relative, and the sprite she loved, and now she was about to lose her home. She fought and fought, but in the end, it was a losing battle. But then, the sprites she lost came back and helped defeat the evil power hungry virus. Just when happiness was going to reign, they get dragged into a battle for the Net. An evil super virus wants Bob cause he can make portals and stuff like that. So she infects all of Bob's guardian friends, including his teacher, his mentor Turbo. This is where you come in. While trying to fight against her, Matrix, AndrAIa, Mouse, and Mike the TV are infected by her. And then she comes to town and infects all of us too! And to top it off, she nearly deletes me! But oh, the story doesn't end there! Wanna hear some more?" 

At this time, Bob's voice had risen from his quiet, discreet whisper he had used to open the vidwindow to Turbo. By now, he could be heard as far as the bridge, where Mouse and Matrix were. A look to Matrix told him he had better go and investigate. Mouse had done some remodeling while she and Ray had been out touring the Web and subsequent Net. She had added at least three small rooms with mattresses and a few cots were kept in the closet, just in case. When Matrix got to the small hallway, he joined the crowd that had already gathered. Dot was leaning against the door jam, with AndrAIa sleepily rubbing her eyes next to her. 

All attention was turned on Bob and someone on the other side of a vid screen. 

"Just when things get settled down and calm, who shows up, but our old friend Megabyte. He's out for revenge and guess who his targets are? My wife and her brothers. Wonderful, huh? And then, just when things get settled down _again_, we're right back in the thick of things with a bug problem. Aren't we so lucky?" 

Turbo looked at this sprite that was before him. He had never seen Bob so angry before and certainly this kind of rage had never been turned on him. The Prime Guardian had over stepped his bounds, he knew. "I'll have a talk with him, Bob." he replied, stoically. "_After_ this problem has been taken care of." 

"Thank you so much for your help." Bob replied, sarcastically. 

He closed the vidwindow and turned to see a crowd gathered behind him. "Everything all right?" Matrix asked, hearing the last tid bits of conversation. Though Matrix hadn't seen the victim of Bob's anger, he could tell after the last sentence the sprite must have been Turbo. 

"Everything's fine." Bob said, stealing a glance towards Dot. 

"Okay people, show's over." she said, ushering Matrix and AndrAIa back to where they had come from. 

"But Dot..." 

"No buts." Dot said, sternly, squashing any hopes for a debate. AndrAIa yawned and went back to bed. Matrix hesitated, looking between his sister and brother before shrugging and heading back to the bridge. 

"Shouldn't you be lying down?" Bob asked, putting his hands behind his head. 

"I'm fine." Dot replied, walking over and putting her arms around his waist. They stood for a nano before she asked, "So what's wrong, Angel? I've never known you to get so upset about something." 

Bob sighed and closed his eyes. When he opened them, he looked down at her. The brown eyes that usually held laughter and happiness in them were now sad and withdrawn. "Don't you ever get tired of fighting, Dot?" he asked. "I mean, if it isn't one thing, it's another. Megabyte, Hex, games, Web creatures, the Web itself, games as a life, Megabyte, Hex, then Daemon, then Hex, then Megabyte again." He pulled her closer and rested his cheek on her head. "I almost lost you. Again, no less." 

"What do you expect, Guardian?" Dot asked, looking up at him, a thin smile on her lips. "To ride off and live happily ever after?" 

"Yes!" Bob exclaimed, slightly insulted. "As a matter of fact, I did expect that." 

"You're a hopeless romantic, Bob." Dot giggled. "It really is cute." 

"Fine." Bob replied, sarcastically, feigning hurt. "Make fun of my plight." 

The two chuckled at the small joke and continued standing in the hallway. "You're right, Bob." Dot said, resting her head on his chest. "I am tired of fighting. I don't enjoy it one nano and I hate doing it, but sometimes we have to in order to live out the happily ever after. Besides, we can't let this overshadow the good times. We've had some wonderful times together and I certainly don't regret any of that. Anyway, it comes with the territory. You certainly didn't become a guardian just to get the girls." 

"Well, actually..." 

Bob rubbed his chest from where Dot had hit him. "I got you, didn't I?" Bob said, wincing in pain. _That really hurt!_ Dot smiled and giggled as he started coming after her. 

"Stop!" she shrieked, as he tried to tickle her. "You're going to wake everybody up and Mouse is going to be so mad." The two laughed and settled down. "Let's get you to bed." Dot said, opening their door. "You look horrible." 

"Thanks, sweetie." Bob muttered, sarcastically. 

* * * 

They were on the move. 

They had gotten the word to move on to their destination. They had destroyed this system enough, but it was more of the fact that their prey was deleted. They could take their revenge while the others stayed here. So they moved. They staged one last attack, sending the workers out to the slaughter house, while the soldiers moved through the portal to their last system ever. 

They would carry out Daemon's revenge. 

* * * 

Gavin sighed in relief. 

Dot was okay and they were on their way back to Mainframe. 

Capacitor had just finished his conversation with Mouse aboard her own vessel, where he had heard the good news. Dot was recovering and up and about. They were now heading back to Mainframe on Ship. Gavin told Mouse of his own situation. They were indefinitely stuck in Symmons while repairs were made to fix the holes in the Saucy Wench. 

"Holes, did you say?" the hacker asked, giving the captain a suspicious look. 

"Aye Lass." Gavin replied, nodding. He took notice of her look that confirmed his own suspicions. "It's a miracle we got this far, says the mechanic. We could've been in some real trouble if we hadn't." 

"I bet." Mouse agreed. In a hushed tone, she asked, "What do you think made those holes in your ship?" 

"I've been a sea dog as long as I've lived." came the reply. "And I've seen a lot of things that took my breath away and even shook my beliefs to the core, but this...would ye think me crazy, Lass, if I said I suspect sabotage?" 

"Not in the least." 

"Then sabotage it be." Gavin said. "Now, the person who done the sabotage, now that be the question." 

"Got any ideas, Sugah?" Mouse asked. 

"Aye Lass," Gavin replied, nodding his head. "I have me own suspects. And I have a feeling the showdown will take place in Mainframe." 

"I got the same feelin', Honey." 

Gavin thought back to that conversation. It was true. He knew he would find the suspect and/or suspects in Mainframe, but for now, he worried about the condition of the system itself. He was sure the citizens were getting in an upheaval about Dot's condition, even if Phong had shielded them from the whole truth. Gavin turned to watch the mechanic working on the ship. The crew had gone into town for more supplies and a well needed stay over. He would have to find them in order to report the good news. 

He just hoped the good news wouldn't turn bad. 

* * * 

It was a long awaited homecoming. 

The friends and family met in ship bay five. Hugs and kisses went around to the returning heroes and it was extremely wonderful to see that everyone was intact and seemed to be all right. Phong hated to spoil the moment. It was a happy one indeed. Dot seemed to be her old self, which meant the staff and the system would not be falling apart. Sabrina and Ray had made it out of the game alive, so things would still run smoothly. 

If only their luck could be the same. 

"Follow me, my children." Phong replied, heading back into the building. "There is still much we have to do." 

The returning group looked at each other before following the old sprite to the command room. Kit and Sabrina trailed slightly behind, Kit wanting to know what had been happening so far. "Things are not processing well in Mainframe, Kitten." the girl whispered to her cousin. "These bugs are coming out of the woodwork and we still got games to beat. And worse yet, the boys in the lab haven't found anything in Grandpa and Grandma Matrix's work to get rid of these things. And..." The girl put her hand on Kit's arm to stop him. "We got a blast from the past of trouble." 

The two children soon joined the adults in the room, as they looked at the overheard screen. It looked like a map of some kind of the surrounding areas around Mainframe. The systems that were offline were black dots and those that clung to survival or were bouncing back were red. Mainframe was in the center of it all as a green dot. "As you can see, more systems decline as we speak." Phong was saying. 

"There's gotta be something more we can do." Enzo said, breathing hard. He hated knowing that other families were suffering worse than his had. But they had been lucky. 

"There is." Kalyle replied. "Delete these things." 

Kit was trying to ignore the conversation around him. He was looking up at the screen. There was something interesting about it, but he couldn't tell exactly what it was his processor was telling him. "Hey, what's this?" he asked, pointing up to the screen. 

"Well, Kitten me boy," Sabrina replied, throwing an arm around him. "In most circles of the systems, we call that there a map." Kit made a sarcastic laugh as he removed his cousin's arm from his shoulders. 

"This, young Christopher, is a map of the surrounding area around Mainframe." Phong replied. "Mainframe is in the center, as the green dot. Sadly, the systems around us have either suffered a system crash and no long process or have suffered from the creatures we now try to combat." 

Kit peered curiously at the screen. There was something there that was important, but he just couldn't see it. "Sabrina, look at this." he said, his eyes not leaving the screen. "What does this look like to you?" 

Sabrina looked up at the screen. "Um...a big screen with a map on it?" she asked with uncertainty. 

Kit let out an annoyed sigh. "Besides that." 

"Dots on a big screen with a map on it." 

The boy rolled his eyes. "Look harder." he said. "See if you see the same thing I see." 

"What is it that you see, Christopher?" Phong asked, also looking at the screen. 

"I don't know, Phong." The boy said. "Like a pattern of some sort. Sabrina, do you see it?" 

"No." 

This time the boy let out an exasperated groan. "Are you even looking at the map?" he asked. "Come on, Bri, think! Use your head. There's gotta be _something_ you see." 

"Ugh, Kit, I don't know!" The girl exclaimed. "I see dots on a screen with a map! Dots going round and round..." Sabrina stopped mid sentence as she too finally saw something of interest. Kit just nodded. 

"Well, what is it you guys see?" Enzo demanded. 

"It's all the systems around us." Kit said, eyes still glued above. "Something about them..." 

"All the systems around us have been hit by bugs." Sabrina replied. "It's almost as if..." 

"They were coming towards us." Kit finished in a whisper. The fuzzy logic that had plagued him now made sense to both children. Every system that surrounded Mainframe had been hit by bugs and either damaged or destroyed. The bugs were enclosing around them. Both children looked at each in other in shock and awe. "Dude..." they breathed, knowing the full extent to the bugs' plan. 

"Of course!" Kalyle surmised. "What a master plan! Daemon sicks her buggie friends on every system just to get to you guys. I should've known from the start! Now the only question is why." 

"Maybe they're looking for you." Sabrina shot back. She had been Cadet Daniels free for almost a cycle. To have him back only annoyed her. "In fact, it seems to me, that everywhere you go, bugs turn up. Now maybe they just like hanging around you. I mean, you do have a tendency to 'bug' people. Maybe they just miss your company." 

Kalyle pointed an accusing finger at the girl. "You better watch what you say to me, little girl!" he said. He had had enough of this system. He should've known the bugs were coming this way. 

"You want a piece of me, Cadet boy?" Sabrina asked, ready to take on the obnoxious cadet. "Bring it on!" 

Kit almost laughed out loud. Despite the fact that she was half the size of the young sprite, she could probably take him. The child was only 0.8 and thought she could take anyone in fight. All except her father because of the height difference. But Sabrina had convinced herself in a few more hours, she could take the renegade, too. 

"Now is not the time," Phong replied looking at Sabrina. "Nor the place." he addressed to Daniels. "We have more pressing matters to attend to." 

The wise sprite made his way to the counsel table and waited for the others to join him. Before going down, Matrix stopped the young cadet and left him some parting words. "That was three." was all he said before taking his seat at the table. Phong looked at the sprites assembled. 

"It is a good idea, Dot, for you to address the system to let them you that you are all right." Phong said. Dot nodded in understanding. "It has come to my attention, thanks to Hexadecimal, that our problems will escalate unless action is taken." 

"More problems than the bugs?" Mouse asked. 

"More problems than you can shake a stick at, Love." Ray replied. 

"Cyrus is back." Sabrina said. 

"Cyrus??" A trio of sprites exclaimed in unison. 

"What's he doing back here?" Matrix growled. 

"Hey Daddio, I just report the news." Sabrina said in defense. "I don't investigate it." 

"The girl is right." Hexadecimal said, standing next to Enzo. "One of Megabyte's followers is stirring the pot, as you'd say." The ex-virus let out a cackle, which made Enzo jump a little. 

"Divide and conquer." Kit said. 

"Precisely." Phong agreed. "In Dot's absence, Cyrus' presence only added to the worry the people had." 

"Turning the people against me." Dot added. She rolled her eyes. "Perfect." 

"Does it seem to you like we've been let out of a major plan?" AndrAIa questioned. 

"Yeah and with us playing the patsy." her daughter answered. 

"Well, what're we all gonna do?" Mouse asked. "Hopefully we're not gonna sit around feelin' sorry for ourselves." 

Dot smiled. "No way." she said. "We're gonna put a stop to all this with a master plan of our own." 

"No one does a plan like my mom." Kit boasted. 

"Number one, we have to make sure the defenses of the system are secure." Dot continued. "Make sure the CPUs know what we're up against and that nothing, and I mean _nothing_, comes through this system without my knowledge." 

"Leave that to me, Dot darlin'." Mouse grinned. 

"Second, I want a report from the lab. Whatever they've got so far will have to tied us over for a while. Most importantly, I want a huge amount of antitoxin ready. Whatever we have left can go to another systems." 

"We'll see it's done too!" Kit volunteered. 

Dot smiled. Her attention turned to the recent news. "Lastly, we got a pest to squash." 

"Leave that us." Enzo replied with a smirk. 

"Okay." Dot sighed. "You all got work to do. Bob, Phong, you're with me." 

"Um...hey. What about me?" Kalyle asked. 

"_You_..." Dot started. She certainly didn't want to keep the man out. He was after all their link to this. "You stay out of trouble. Better yet, why don't you make a report for Turbo?" Dot smirked. "I'm sure he'd love to hear from you." 

Kalyle looked at the Command.Com in confusion as she and the others left for their various tasks. The cadet decided to take the young business tycoon and leader up on her offer and headed for his quarters. As he walked down the hall, he wondered what the smirk was for. They probably already reported him to Turbo. The cadet sighed. It wasn't like he'd be kicked out. He had gotten bad reports before and nothing had happened, but this time could be different. It wasn't a secret that Guardian 452 was Turbo's favorite student and that the Prime Guardian had done some things to destroy that friendship. 

Like trying to delete the system Bob lived in. 

Kalyle couldn't understand why Bob would be mad. It was protocol after all, certainly he understand that, but perhaps his time in the Web had gotten rid of all guardian logic and sense. The young cadet couldn't even understand how that Matrix had made it through the Academy. He was as bad as Kalyle himself. And that Enzo certainly didn't have a back circuit. They'd let anyone in the Collective these seconds. 

Daniels certainly didn't have a problem. 

* * * 

The lab technicians had a small memorial for their fallen colleague. His small, binome body had been brought by the M.U.s too late. He had deleted before they even got inside. None of his superiors could understand why he hadn't stayed in the Principal Office, especially at the millisecond he left. It was late and dark, surely the young binome knew the risk. 

But in his death, his colleagues discovered something. 

By sheer luck, the binome's console was still on the file he had been looking at the night before. One superior had seen the same thing he had. A very unorthodox idea, to say the least, but at this stage, it was all they had. They had gotten a vidwindow from the two small sprites saying their work needed to be bumped up, but that the work they had so far would have to do. 

The bugs were coming. 

The superior, a one binome named Focus, had a strange plan of his own. What if they could use the nullification experiment to their advantage? The accident that had destroyed the Twin City could be used to destroy the bugs. Could that be possible? Was there a way the doctors' mistake could be the salvation to the system of Mainframe? He would need to discuss it. 

"Is that even possible?" Kit asked. 

The two children had gone to the lab as asked and were talking to Focus. "I'm not sure." the one replied. "It is after all, a theory. I will need to discuss this will the Command.Com and the staff, of course, but it could work." 

"We don't have time for _could_ or _should_." Sabrina insisted. "We need a _would_, as in this would work if we had this." 

"I know this is a long shot." 

"Try a _very_ long shot." Sabrina muttered. 

"Well, if you have a better idea, young lady, please feel free to tell me." the one said with authority. 

"Of course this is gonna work." Kit replied, smiling at the one binome. 

"Chris..." 

"I have complete confidence in my grandparents' work." the boy continued. Looking at the one, he said, "I have no doubt you will explore this to the best of your abilities, Dr. Focus." 

The one looked surprised at the level of confidence the boy had. A trait he had gotten from both his parents. "Why, thank you, Christopher." he replied, returning the boy's smile. "I can see you may have a future here with us." Sabrina rolled her eyes. 

The two children left the lab and headed back towards the command room. "Okay, Lan, what's the big file?" she asked, walking backwards in order to talk to him. "'I have complete confidence in my grandparents' work.' That was totally out of the blue and I think you used it to get some praise from the boys in the lab." Kit stopped in his tracks and looked at his cousin. 

"You're turning into your father second by second, you know that?" 

"And what exactly does that mean?" Sabrina asked, steadying herself for a brawl. 

"I meant what I said, Bri." the boy replied. "I do have confidence in our grandparents' work. What happened was accidental and the Twin City was just that. An accident. Anything could've happened. We just don't know what. I'm getting a little tired of the doubts that run rampant in this family. Would you believe my father and uncles didn't even think Mom would make it?" Seeing the shock on Sabrina's face, he continued. "Yeah, that's right. My own father, your father, and our uncle didn't think Mom would actually come through. Even Mouse, who's supposed to be her best friend, had lost hope, but not me. Not me." 

The two stood in the corridor, each not saying a word. "Okay, okay." Sabrina relented. "Let's say this thing works. What happens to our parents and Enzo?" Kit shrugged. 

"I don't know." he sighed. "They..." 

Kit stopped when he saw the expression on Sabrina's face change. He was about to ask what was wrong when he heard a hiss come from behind him. Turning his head quickly, he saw something slightly larger than a worker bug, standing only a few feet away from him. Another hiss came from behind Sabrina and two more large workers stood. As the two children stood back to back, they could see about four more bugs approaching them. 

"Oh boy." Sabrina replied, nervously. "This is bad." 

"Very bad." Kit agreed. 

* * * 

The alley in sector 31 was always teaming with destitute binomes, having one too many drinks at Al's and being kicked out of the establishment. It was in the alleyway one small binome was trying to find somewhere to hide. Things were not going good. It was fine and dandy when Dot Matrix had been out of the system, but Cyrus had seen the hacker's ship and heard the group had returned. He hoped he could have one last plan before... 

"Well, well, well." he heard from behind him. "Look here, boys. It's our old friend, Cyrus." 

The one binome started to shake as he slowly turned around. He had been right. At the entrance of the alley stood three adult sprites and they did not look happy. Well, actually, they looked way too happy to see _him_. "Cyrus." Enzo spoke, giving the binome a smile. "It's been a while." 

"Now when was the last time we saw you?" Matrix asked. "Oh, that's right. Before that nasty business with Megabyte and Megaframe." 

Cyrus laughed nervously. "Has it been that long?" The one binome was in some considerable trouble. "What...um...what can I do for you?" 

The three sprites came closer to the binome, each having their own way of making him talk if need be. "You see, Cyrus," Enzo started, walking up to the binome. "We've been hearing..." the young cadet smashed in a nearby box with his fist. "...rumors." 

"Rumors?" Cyrus asked, his shaking continuing and his voice hitting the high register. 

Matrix removed Gun and shot a trash can behind the one. "Vicious rumors." he replied. 

"About our sister Dot." AndrAIa replied, pretending to clean off her trident. "You _do_ remember Dot, don't you?" 

"Tall, green, very lovely looking girl?" Cyrus asked, offering the group a scared smile. "Yes, I seem to recall her. How is she?" 

"Fine." Matrix replied, examining Gun for a bit before looking at the binome. "Just fine. As we were saying, there are these...rumors flying around about Dot and we know you're usually in the business of... rumors, so we thought..." 

"I had nothing to do with this!" Cyrus exclaimed, raising his hands in defense. "Honest!" 

"Hey, calm down." AndrAIa said, gently. "Stay frosty. You're getting all worked up and nervous..." 

"I...I..." 

"Hey Cy, we understand." Matrix said. 

"You...you do?" asked the binome. 

"You're a victim." Matrix continued. At that, the binome gulped. 

"A victim...of circumstance." Enzo replied. 

"Uh..yeah...yes!" The binome exclaimed, nodding in understanding. "That's me! A victim of circumstance." 

"And we understand that." Enzo said. "That's why we want to..._help_ you." 

Cyrus gulped again, afraid of what these three would do. He wasn't exactly their favorite person in the Net, not after what he had done to them, but perhaps they were forgiving. He had noted that in the past. They were very forgiving. "But...I...I don't know what you're talking about." he said, trying to be sincere. 

"Boys," AndrAIa started, looking at both her companions. "I have a feeling Cyrus isn't being very truthful with us." 

"Cyrus, I gotta say I'm very..." Enzo knocked over a nearby can while the three advanced on the one. "...disappointed with you." 

"We really hate..." Matrix started, while shooting at a cardboard box laying at Cyrus' feet. "...when people aren't very truthful with us." 

"Okay, okay." the binome relented. "I saw an opportunity to maybe get out of the system. I don't know if you're aware, but the people of this system have been worried sick." 

"I bet." AndrAIa muttered. 

"I was just doing a little damage control, that's all." Cyrus looked up at the three. They seemed to believe him. And it was slightly the truth. He certainly wasn't going to tell them he was getting paid for the disturbance. "You're not going to hurt me, are you?" he asked, meekly. 

"Oh, _we're_ not going to hurt you." AndrAIa replied, turning as though she was leaving. Seeing a very familiar and welcomed figure, she bent down and called to him. "Frisket, come here, boy!" Standing, she looked over her shoulder at Cyrus, who was trying to see why the trio was smiling at him suddenly. 

"You remember Frisket, don't you?" 

"Frisket?" the binome asked, uncertain. 

When AndrAIa moved, the big red dog looked at the binome and growled. Frisket certainly remembered Cyrus. The little binome gulped as Frisket came closer and the trio started to leave. "Um..." he stuttered, his eyes going back and forth between the oncoming dog and the leaving sprites. "Where're you going?" 

"We're gonna leave the two of you alone so you can get reacquainted with each other." Matrix replied from the alley entrance. 

"No...wait!" 

As the trio left the alley, they could hear Cyrus saying, "Nice doggie. Nice doggie." The three laughed and Enzo called to Frisket, "Don't come home late! You know how we worry." The three chuckled as Frisket got a new toy for the second. 

* * * 

"Okay, boy wonder, how do we get out of this?" 

Sabrina and Kit stood back to back as the bugs started to approach them. The two were trapped between the oncoming beasts, with no where to run. Kit knew this could be the end of them at any moment, but he remembered his promise. He promised he would get these bugs if it was the last thing he did. "Simple." the boy replied, taking a fighting stance. "We're gonna kick their bitmaps." 

Sabrina looked at her cousin incredulously. "Uh, Mainframe we have a problem here." she said. "And just how are _we_ going to do that?" 

"You have a special talent, don't you?" Kit asked, a mischievous look in his eyes. 

"But you told me not to use my nails!" 

"I told you not to use them when Daniels was around." Kit grinned. "And he certainly isn't here now." 

Sabrina turned back to the bugs coming towards her with a smile on her face. "All right, you wingless freaks," she said, also taking a fighting stance. "You wanna play? Let's play." The two children got ready, while the bugs formed their own plan of attack. Just when it seemed like no one would move, a worker made his. Using its hind legs as a spring, it jumped towards Kit. The boy had seen the maneuver and quickly shot it down with an energy beam. 

The workers took the distraction to try and combat the youngsters, but these weren't ordinary children. Each of their parents had fought in more than just physical wars. They had endured a lot of heartache along the way and made sure their children would not have to experience that. So each child was taught some level of hand to hand combat. Sabrina had inherited her mother's paralyzing nails and knew had to use them as a weapon. Kit, though still new to the use of his powers, had just come from a controlling session with his father. After the incident with his mother, Bob wanted to make sure Kit knew how to use his powers, something he and his wife had neglected to teach the boy until now. 

Every time a worker came at them, Kit or Sabrina would shoot it down, scaring the remaining bugs. They had never seen anyone fight back and actually stand a chance at defeating them. What kind of system was this? 

"I can't delete these things, Kit!" Sabrina shouted, shooting a nail towards an oncoming worker. 

"A paralyzed bug is better than a live one!" Kit replied, shooting two bugs simultaneously. 

When all was said and done, seven bugs lay on the hallway floor. "So what do we do now?" Sabrina asked, surveying the work. 

"First, we tell someone about this." Kit said. "These bugs didn't just show up for the Net of it. Second, we find out where their nest is." 

"Good luck." Sabrina said, scanning the area for any more unwanted visitors. "We've been over this system a thousand times." 

"Then we'll go over it again." Kit replied, sternly. "They're coming from somewhere and I refuse to except 'out of the blue' as an answer." 

"I go, you stay?" Sabrina asked. 

"Yeah." Kit nodded. "I'll be able to handle the ones you got if they wake up, but hurry. I just learned how to control this, it doesn't mean I'm a pro." 

Sabrina gave him a final smile, before making her way to the command room. Kit stood ready for anything else that would come his way. He hoped she would find help quickly. He had lied to her. He couldn't possibly take on any more bugs period. His aim had been off with some and he had completely missed others. If his cousin hadn't been here, who knows what might have happened. He looked around at the bugs on the ground. He didn't want to be in this situation again, but if it happened again ~_Oh User forbid!_~ he wanted to be prepared, much better than he was now. This was twice he had been faced with bugs unprepared, but had gotten away by the grace of the User. 

Not again. 

* * * 

Dot was already talking to someone when her brothers and AndrAIa walked in, laughing at the scene they had just left. Dot and a one binome walked towards her office, passing the trio as they entered. "We can talk in here." she was saying, opening her office door and letting the binome enter. "You two in my office." she continued, addressing both Enzo and Matrix. The two sprites looked at their sister and then each other in confusion, each with a look of "what did we do?" on their faces. 

The brothers shrugged, said goodbye to AndrAIa, and followed Dot inside. The Command.Com closed the door and walked around to her desk. "Boys, I want you to meet Dr. Focus." she said, indicating the one. "He's one of our head technicians in the lab. Dr. Focus, my brothers Enzo and Matrix." The three exchanged a greeting. 

"So what's the file?" Matrix asked, still confused as to why he and Enzo were in the office. 

"Yeah, Sis." Enzo agreed. "What's up?" 

"Dr. Focus has an idea on getting rid of the bugs." Dot replied, taking a seat on the edge of her desk. 

"Great!" Enzo exclaimed. "Quick, what is it?" 

Focus cleared his throat before addressing the two. He had just had a long talk with Miss Matrix about her brothers' tempers. He certainly didn't want to witness that. "It wasn't I that discovered the source," he started. "It was a lower colleague of mine. Anyway, he struck something that I have incorporated with my own ideas." 

"And that idea would be...?" Matrix wondered, already bored by the doctor's ramblings. 

"The idea is to use your parents'...experiment of nullification reversal in order to stop the bugs." 

The silence that followed made the doctor uneasy. He could tell already that the two did not like the idea what so ever. "You see," he continued cautiously. "We've looked back into your mother and father's work on nullification and we think that perhaps if we use the same technique they used, maybe with a smaller dose, we can combat the bug problem." More silence. "What...what do you think?" 

"You're joking, right?" Enzo asked. "I mean, you have to be joking." 

"Dr. Focus, if my brothers and I could discuss this for a moment, perhaps you can give us a detailed explanation a little later?" Dot asked, sweetly. The doctor nodded and slid past Matrix to get to the door and left. 

"You can't be serious about this." the renegade told her. "This is random, Dot." 

"Yes it is." she agreed. "It's also the only plan we got so far. Look, I didn't want to make a decision without the two of you here." 

"How nice of you to include us this time around." Enzo remarked sarcastically. 

"Let's not start this again." Dot groaned. "I think we've had enough fighting in the last two or three cycles to last a lifetime." The three were silent for a bit. 

"So how is this supposed to work?" Matrix asked, sighing. He didn't like it. Not at all. 

"Something about Mom and Dad's formulas from the experiment." Dot reported. "Dr. Focus can give us a better understanding of it all, but generally, he thinks whatever caused the Twin City explosion might be able to destroy the bugs." 

"That's a big 'what if', Sis." Enzo said, shaking his head. "If this thing doesn't work..." 

"I know, I know." Dot sighed. "Believe me, I don't want to go through that again. But what choice do we have?" To Matrix, she asked, "Are you aware our children were cornered in the hallway by a group of bugs after they left the lab?" 

"What?" Matrix exclaimed. "Is Sabrina...?" 

"She's fine." Dot said. "So is Kit. Their talents come in handy sometimes." she smirked, a grin on her face. "Still...that was close. Right here in the Principal Office. Way too close." 

"We don't have any idea of where they're coming from?" Enzo asked. 

"No sign as of yet." Dot sighed, leaning back on her arms. "I don't like this idea any more than the two of you do, but it's the only solid thing we have." 

"We got a lot to lose if this doesn't work, Dot." Matrix said, staring at his sister. 

Dot lay flat on her back on the desk, looking up at the ceiling. "I know." she whispered. Looking up, she asked, "Have I told you guys how much I love you?" 

"It's a little early for the sentimental thing, don't cha think?" Enzo asked. 

"Yeah." Matrix grinned. "You're supposed to wait until we're at the last leg of the battle, _then_ tell us how much you care." 

"Ugh!" Dot groaned, dropping her head back down. "How do we put up with you?" 

"You mean you and Bob?" Enzo asked. 

"I mean me, AndrAIa, and Alex." 

"It's our likable charm." Matrix said. 

* * * 

The Mainframe staff was once again assembled in the command room, with a Dr. Focus at the head of the table. Kalyle was the last one to walk in, his cocky demeanor drastically reduced from before. Bob smirked upon seeing the cadet. Maybe Turbo had a talk with the lad after all. Dot stood to face the gathered sprites. 

"First of all, crisis has been averted." she said. "Gave a nice little speech to the people of Mainframe, even had it out on the front steps. Things are going good. So far. Now on to business." Turning to the one binome, she said, "This is Dr. Focus. He has an idea on getting rid of our...problem." 

"Thank you, Miss Matrix." the binome said, bowing slightly. "As I discussed it with Miss Matrix and her brothers, I believe we have a way of combatting the bugs. After studying the works of both Dr. James Matrix and his wife, Dr. Patricia Matrix, we've concluded that their experiment on nulls and nullification may hold the key to this." 

"You're joking, right?" AndrAIa asked. 

"I'm completely serious." the binome scoffed. "The boys and I have worked hard on this problem and I think we have arrived at a soultion." 

"Tell them the plan, Doctor." Dot sighed, not wanting the small binome to go off on a tangent. 

"Yes, of course." the doctor replied. Switching on the over head screen, a display of the Matrixes' work was shown. "This is the last known work of the doctors Matrix. We think, by using a smaller amount of the formula made by Dr. Matrix and adding that to a concentrated amount of energy, the bugs would no doubt be destroyed within contact." 

"You mean like a mini bomb?" Sabrina asked, confused. 

"Something like that." Kit replied. "You see, if the energy mixes with the formula, it should create the same reaction it did in the Twin City, thus causing the bugs to implode when the formula hits them." 

"Right." Sabrina nodded. "Like a mini bomb." 

"My question is, how're we going to inject a thousand, maybe even a million bugs with that little formula?" Ray asked. 

"That's the part we haven't figured out." the doctor said, sheepishly. "If we could find a way to harness that energy without causing damage to the person who's in contact with it, we'd have our answer." 

"What we need in this matter, is outside help." Phong said, nodding his head. "An old read-me says 'one plus one makes eleven'." 

"Huh?" Kalyle asked in bewilderment. 

"He means in unity, there is strength." Kit responded, using an old read-me saying Phong had taught him. 

When Kalyle still looked perplexed, Sabrina rolled her eyes and said, "Two heads are better than one, basic!" 

"Phong's right." Dot said, standing. "We're going to need all the help we can get. Kalyle, get in contact with Turbo again, tell him I need to speak with him ASAP. How're the shields holding up?" 

"Full power, Dot honey." Mouse replied. 

"Good. Dr. Focus, how long do you think you'll need for this plan of yours?" 

"User knows, Miss Matrix." the binome said honestly. "But I'm sure we can get something together in a few seconds." 

Dot blew out a breath. "We don't have that kind of time." she said, desparately thinking of a plan of her own. "I want an entire sweep of the city. Anything suspicious, I want brought to my attention. Also, I want notification of anyone or anything leaving or coming into this system, even if it's a candy wrapper blowing in the wind. Next, I need a couple of watch guards to stay alert at night. These bugs are smart. Smart enough to know they could strike if our defenses are down. I'd rather not wait for a fight, I'd rather take it to them. Anything out of the ordinary, I want to know about it." 

The group knew Dot well enough to know when she wanted action done. The group left the table and set about getting some work achieved. Bob stayed behind, watching the others leave and his wife pacing in front of him. "Something wrong, dear?" he asked, grinning at her. 

Dot stopped her pacing to look at him. "No, everything's just dandy. Thanks for asking." she replied, bitterly and started up pacing again. 

Bob stood up and began pacing with her, trailing behind and moving out of the way when she quickly turned around. "You think this plan's gonna work?" he asked, still following her. He was unprepared when she suddenly stopped, causing him to run into her back. Hearing her sigh, he quickly wrapped his arms around her waist. 

"It's the only one we have, Bob." she said, leaning her head back and resting it on his shoulder. "I think it could work." 

"You're not sure?" 

"The doctor who's in charge of the idea isn't even sure." she sighed. "What do you think, Bob?" 

"I think we're overdue for a vacation." 

"Ha ha." Dot giggled, turning in his embrace. "No, really. What do you think?" 

"I agree with you." he said, kissing her forehead. "This is the only plan we got. We can't just delete these things over and over again. Especially when more come after we're done. We have to end this, here and now." 

"I totally agree." 

Dot went silent, thinking of something the doctor had said. "You're planning something." Bob said, looking down at her. She smiled up at him and delivered a kiss to his lips. 

"I think I have a way of getting all that energy in one place." 

* * * 

They were coming. 

Their plan had worked so well. They had cut off whatever help those in Mainframe could afford to get. They would now go into the system and join with those that had been stationed there. 

They would never see it coming. 

* * * 

Hexadecimal laughed and laughed. The ex-virus had been laughing since Dot and Bob had summoned to see her in the Principal Office. What an utterly, yet plausible, ridiculous plan they had. They wanted her to harvest enough energy to destroy the bugs. How incredibly funny. "Oh, the two of you are so cute!" she cackled in between breaths. "And what makes you think I would actually help you?" 

"Cause if we get destroyed, you get destroyed." Dot said sternly. 

Bob sighed. This rivalry between them was much worse than the Dot/Mouse thing. "Ladies, please." he said, trying to calm both parties. "Listen, Hex, we need your help. It's obvious that Daemon got the last laugh in this, but if we can stop them from taking over, we might have a chance at getting rid of these things once and for all." 

"So your plan, Guardian, is to somehow inject me with some formula I've never even heard about?" Hex asked suspiciously. 

"Actually, Hex, it's not my plan." Bob replied, putting an arm around Dot's shoulders. "It was Dot's." 

"Big surprise." the ex-virus muttered. 

"Look, Hex," Dot said. "It's gonna take a few seconds before our scientists can come up with something to put all this energy in. I just kinda assumed..." 

"Well, you do know what happens when you assume, don't you dear?" Hex asked impishly. 

"Hex..." Bob warned. 

"I'll take care of the bugs in my own way, in my own time, thank you." The ex-virus started to leave, but turned back to face the two sprites. "They are coming you know." she said seriously. "They may be here before you are fully prepared. I suggest whatever plan you have is moved up, for anything is possible." With that, she was gone. 

Bob and Dot looked at each other in concern. They didn't like that warning. Not at all. They weren't sure when the bugs would be arriving and they certainly didn't know how nor did they know if they had their own nest in Mainframe. The situation only gave more questions, but rarely any answers. The plan they had set in motion was all or nothing. 

They couldn't afford to lose. 

Down the hall in the P.O. laboratory, Kit was watching as the techs started work on the formula that would hopefully save them or at least give them some time. Kit thought it was fascinating. He loved science since he was younger and now, he knew where he had gotten that love from. Mom was a business sprite by trade, maybe even design. Dot had told him his grandmother had dabbled and had been successful in business. That's how they had gotten a small portion of Mainframe. 

Kit had thought about his family tree for the longest time. He had always felt a little different than the rest of his family. He wasn't guardian material, but by the mere fact he was Bob's son almost entitled him that he would be some second. But Kit didn't want that. He couldn't see his Dad being anything else but a guardian. The same was true with Matrix and Enzo. And maybe Sabrina one second. _They_ were the guardian types. They thrived on adventure and living on the edge. Kit was too much like his mother. He liked planning for things, keeping organized. 

The boy was also learning something about one's codes during this whole thing. 

It was in his father's codes to be a guardian, just like it was in his mother's codes to be a leader and a business woman. Kit felt his codes were telling him to be a scientist. He had been thinking about it for a while now, going into science when he got older. For the longest time, he couldn't understand why that was. It seemed he had his choice of either guardian or business man, but scientist didn't seem to be an option. Not until he learned more about his grandparents. 

He guessed some of their codes were in him. They had to be. It was the only thing to explain the desire to want to work in the lab, do what he was watching right now. There was something exciting about science, knowing that one second he could discover something that would make a difference to those in his system...it made him proud to think he could do that. But would his family think the same? This experience had taught him that the old wounds his mother and uncles felt when the Twin City blew up still surfaced every once and awhile. He didn't want them to think that he was planning on doing something so bad, but he did have confidence in his grandparents. He knew they hadn't done it on purpose. They had been trying to make life for those nullified in a game better. 

Besides, Dr. Focus had said he did have a good future in science. 

Back in the war room, Enzo had opened a vidwindow to the Guardian Academy, more precisely, to his girlfriend's dorm room. "We're in a bind." he said, sighing. The young guardian had actually understood Phong's original read-me file lesson for the second. They needed all the help they could get. 

"Turbo already told those of us who went on the recon trips to go and scan the systems again." Alex replied, leaning back in her chair. "As much as I'm honored to do this, this is going to push my graduation back. But...a guardian's got to do what a guardian's got to do. How can we help?" 

"Ask Turbo if you guys can swing by here any time soon." Enzo said. "Just in case." 

"Will do." Her expression softed and she smiled. "And how are you, Scooter?" she asked. "You seem a bit reserved." 

Enzo sighed. "I hope this is over soon." he said, blowing out a breath. "We got this plan that may or may not work involving my parents' experiment. The same experiment that destroyed our home...User, I hope this works. I can't lose another home, you know?" 

"Stop worrying about the past so much." Alex replied. "You know and I know your parents did not blow up the Twin City on purpose. They were trying something that obviously didn't work. It doesn't mean you have to lose faith in them or their success." 

"I've always had faith in my parents!" Enzo exclaimed, insulted that Alex would think otherwise. 

"Have you?" she asked, knowingly. Enzo started to say something, but then stopped. "I know their deaths hurt you, Matrix, and Dot, but you can't let their one very big mistake cloud everything they ever meant to you." 

Enzo didn't know what to say. He didn't want to believe it had gone that far, but in his heart, he knew it had. He and Matrix were so young when it happened, they barely remembered their parents, but the exact moment and everything after the explosion was etched in their minds like it had happened yesterday. That one moment had covered up anything he still remembered from being a child. 

"I'll talk to Turbo about coming by, okay?" 

Enzo merely nodded, his thoughts elsewhere. 

"Are you going to be okay, Enzo?" she asked. 

"Yeah." he said, nodding. "I will be once I have a talk with my brother and sister." He looked up at her and smiled. "I'll be fine. Be careful on those return trips." 

"I will." she said. "I love you, Scooter." 

"I love you, too." he grimaced. "I'd love you more if you wouldn't call me that." 

"You like it and you know it." she said, blowing him a kiss. "I'll be there as soon as I can. Alex out." 

* * * 

The next second, all seemed quiet. The early morning milliseconds went as they always had. The binomes and few sprites left from the Daemon relocation got up and headed off to work and/or school. The system seemed to be running fine so far. In the Principal Office, things were quiet and tense. Dot stood at the front console looking at the overhead screen. It showed a serene system, one at peace. Bob and Phong stood on either side of her, also looking at the screen. 

Sabrina, Mouse, and Enzo were playing cards at the table. Sabrina threw a glance at Kit, who sat on top of the table, reading a book. The girl rolled her eyes. Only her cousin would actually be studying on a second off from school. She still couldn't believe Aunt Dot had let them stay home for the second and the fact that her Dad had agreed was even more surprising. Ray stood against the wall, his baud leaning up next to him, his arms folded across his chest and he appeared to be having a short nap. He and Mouse had been up all night looking for any signs of a nest, with no luck still. 

Matrix couldn't stand still, so he and AndrAIa had gone down to hang out with the CPUs in the hanger. As Chief of Security, Matrix liked being near the CPUs anyways, especially in a situation like this. AndrAIa just liked knowing her husband wouldn't do anything crazy. Hack and Slash had actually talked Mike the TV into watching the twins and Chip in Phong's office. Mike, of course, was promised an exclusive story if he did this, so the little set agreed. Hack and Slash were now stationed outside the Principal Office doors. 

Sabrina sighed in boredom. It was so quiet. She looked over at Kit and asked, "How can you be studying at a time like this?" 

The boy waved her off, mumbling, "I'm not studying, I'm reading." 

"Well, duh." she huffed. "What're you reading?" 

Looking up, the boy merely said, "Something of importance." then turned back to his book. 

Nothing out of the ordinary seemed to be happening. Dot felt she had gotten out bed early for absolutely nothing. She yawned, feeling like going home would be so wonderful right about now. She closed her eyes, feeling Bob's arms around her waist, pulling her to him. She rested her head on his shoulder, yawning again as sleep started to take over. 

Sabrina was feeling the same way. She was rarely up this early unless something exciting was taking place. This was hardly the exciting thing she had in mind. Leaning back and stretching, she watched as Mouse won another game and threw her cards down. The hacker chuckled, blowing a kiss towards Enzo, who just shook his head. Something caught the girl's eye, making her turn back to the over head screen. 

"Did you guys see that?" she asked, looking intently at the scene before her. 

Dot was immediately awake. "See what, Sabrina?" 

"It might've been nothing, but..." 

Something did seem to fly past the screen as Sabrina talked. "Sir!" Specky exclaimed. "There seems to be a build up of energy entering the system!" 

"That's impossible!" Mouse exclaimed, standing from her chair. "Nothing gets in this system without my say so!" 

Kit slammed his book on the table. "A hidden file command." he said, jumping off and running towards the door. 

"A hidden file command?" Bob repeated. 

"That's how they've been able to stay out of sight." Dot mused. "Spam it! Thye've been under our noses the whole time! We have to act quickly. Specky, try to pinpoint where exactly they're coming from, Mouse help him make sure no one else gets in here. Phong, bring up a window to Matrix and AndrAIa. Enzo, meet them over in the hanger and for User's sake, be careful. Bob..." 

"I'm with you. No buts." the guardian replied. 

Kit tore out of the war room, with Sabrina trailing behind him. "Kit!" Bob yelled after him. "Where're you going?" 

"To the lab!" the boy shouted back, tearing down the hall and turning a corner. Sabrina took off after him, interested in knowing what exactly the boy had in his processor. 

"Christopher!" she called after him. "Wait up!" 

* * * 

The CPUs were in the air in no time, but it wasn't just workers they had to worry about. The workers they had almost destroyed, but it was the soldiers that were bigger and stronger. To them, the unit cars were nothing more than annoying flies. Their job was to destroy the system like it had destroyed their mistress. 

Matrix and AndrAIa had been cornered in front of the hanger as they let CPUs out. Some workers were still inhabiting the system and had gotten the word to stop those on the ground. The pack seemed to get bigger every time the two sprites shot some down. "We can't stay in here!" Matrix shouted over his gun blasts. "I say we make a break for it!" 

"I agree!" AndrAIa shouted. 

The two took off down an alleyway. They hoped they could double back and get their bikes, but they soon found that way was blocked. Not breaking stride, they headed the opposite way, with a horde of bugs behind them. 

* * * 

"I can not believe these bugs are _so_ smart..." 

Mouse had been voicing her complaints ever since she heard about the hidden command. The hacker couldn't possibly believe that these disgusting things could be so very smart to initiate a hidden file command and enter the system under the scanners. Not possible. 

"Believe it, Mouse love." Ray replied, looking on screen. He could see the bugs now, flying and battling with the CPU units. But there were three sprites he _didn't_ see that worried him. 

"Dot, I have a vidwindow to the lab as we speak." Phong replied, whirling over to the young sprite. "Dr. Focus tells me everything will be ready shortly." 

"Great." Dot said, looking up at the screen. She didn't see Matrix, Enzo, or AndrAIa anywhere. "Where is Hex?" she asked herself. 

"Don't worry." Bob said, rubbing her arm. "She'll come through. I know she will. She had better." That last part was made under his breath. 

A window popped up in front of Dot, a worried Enzo on the other end. "Dot, they're not here." he said, frantic. 

"Who's not there?" his sister asked. A sudden realization hit her. "You mean..." 

"I can't find them anywhere." Enzo replied. "I was hoping you guys had seen them." 

Ray grabbed his baud and started for the door, telling Dot he would go look for them. "Be careful, Ray." she said, as he passed her and left. Turning her attention back to her baby brother, she said, "Don't worry, Enzo. Ray's coming." 

"He'd better be prepared." He said, looking around him. 

"What do you mean by that?" Bob asked. 

"I seem to have an audience." Enzo said, getting ready for anything. "I'll talk to you later." He closed the vidwindow. 

"I'll portal over there and give him a hand." Bob said. He turned to go, but was stopped by Dot's hand. 

"Bob..." 

Looking at each other, a silent conversation passed between them. A promise that had been made so long ago, still could be heard in each other's head. This time, like so many others when danger had threatened the system and their lives, the promise was heard. It rarely changed. 

_Come back to me._

"I promise." Bob said, knowing the concern that lay in his wife's heart. Forming a portal, he left the war room and his love. 

* * * 

Kit skidded in front of the door to the lab, threw it opened and faced all the scientists. "I have a plan." he declared, breathing heavily. Sabrina ran into his back and looked at him. "The bugs have been using a hidden file command in order to trick the sensors into thinking they weren't here." the boy continued, walking over to Dr. Focus. "But they're here now. And I got a plan." 

"Then tell us, Christopher," the doctor replied, smiling at the boy. "What's this plan of yours?" 

"You still need a way to contain all that energy?" he asked. 

"No, actually." the doctor said, picking up a small dart. "We were able to construct small darts that would be able to hold the energy and the formula without causing harm. But the real problem is how to get these in the bugs in order to destroy them." 

"Leave that to me." Kit said, grinning mysteriously. 

* * * 

The CPUs were in a losing battle. 

Even though they well outnumbered the soldiers, the soldiers were still faster and stronger. Several cars had dropped from the sky, even as soldiers were being destroyed. They couldn't hold on much longer though. Even if the officers survived the air battle, there was still one on the ground to contend with. It seemed every area had been covered. 

"They seem to be all over the place!" Algernon replied, dodging an oncoming soldier and shooting it with his gun. 

"This could be the big one, Sir!" Binky shouted, shooting two soldiers coming at him. 

"That just wouldn't be cricket, Binky." 

In the hanger, Bob and Enzo battled with their own bug problem. It seemed these bugs had been lying in wait for them. A horde had almost overtaken Enzo before Bob stepped from the portal and shot bugs the young guardian didn't even know were coming. 

"Thanks." he called over his shoulder, his keytool blasting a few more. 

"No problem." Bob replied, quick energy blasts being delivered to three coming his way. "Your sister would never forgive me if I let something happen to you." 

The two managed to delete the majority, the rest scurrying away and trying to find some dark shelter within the hanger. "Let's forget about those guys for now." Bob said, looking around. "Our biggest problem are those soldiers. Let's take care of them and seal the bugs in here." Enzo nodded and left through the opened door. Bob was able to seal off any exits the bugs thought about escaping through and followed Enzo outside. 

Where Kit had gotten the idea, she wasn't sure, but Sabrina knew better than to doubt his word. 

The two had managed to get past Hack and Slash at the front door and began racing towards the Diner. They had hoped to reach Baudway and the Diner and contact everyone in order to tell them the good news. Kit had gotten to the weapons supply and brought a handful of dart guns. The hope was if everyone had at least two dart guns, they would able to destroy the vast majority of soldiers that fly in the air. 

The only problem was the dart guns only held about six darts. 

But Kit had said at least some would be eleminated, that was the point. Whatever they could do to limit the vast size of the threat they faced, it was a small victory at best. The lab boys quickly got about to making a more lasting and effective way of destroying the bugs. After loading up as many darts as the children could dare hold, they raced out of the Principal Office. Using zipboards would've gotten them spotted by the soldiers, so they opted to run, darting through alleys and in between buildings. 

Stopping in an alleyway close to the Diner, the two rested. How they were going to actually summon everyone to the Diner was a large task, but they had to do it. "So this is gonna work, huh?" Sabrina asked, trying to catch her breath. 

"Think about it this way," Kit replied, bent over and huffing. "If it doesn't work, we're in a lot of trouble. Besides, there's only so much our powers can do, right? If you've noticed, the CPUs aren't doing so hot and it's only a matter of time before my Dad runs low on energy, Matrix's gun loses power, and Deco taps out. These bugs can only be knocked out for so long. With these, we can at least get the upper hand." 

"I hope so." Sabrina said, hearing hissing coming towards them. "Because we might have to use them ourselves." 

Looking up, a small army of workers stood in their path. "Oh, not this again!" the boy exclaimed, shaking his head. There was no way the two of them could take on a group this size and they couldn't afford to use the dart guns in fear of wasting whatever chance they had. "Sabrina, I don't want to alarm you," he started, staring at the advancing bugs. 

"It's a little late for that, thanks." Sabrina muttered, sarcastically. "We're in some trouble here, aren't we?" 

"I'm afraid these bugs have our number." 

Each child take up a fighting stance. They weren't going to just give up, they would fight to the bitter end. Hopefully, it wouldn't be theirs. "Abast there, you scurvy dogs!" came a cry from above. Several gun blasts quickly eleminated the danger the two children had found themselves in. Looking up, they saw the most welcomed sight. 

"Gavin!" both shouted, joy rising from their lungs. 

"Would ye care for a lift, me kiddies?" the captain asked, removing his hat and bowing. 

"Captain, you have no idea how happy we are to see you!" Kit said, jumping into the car, with Sabrina right behind him. 

"Sorry for the delay." he said, motioning for Mr. Andrews to take her in the air. "Me crew and I were broad sided in another system, but don't worry, Lad. The calvery is coming." 

Ray scanned overhead, barely missing the swooping soldiers that were coming after him. Banking hard, he caused two to crash into the side of a building. He zapped about three and used his baud to knock out one. He dived into an alleyway, at least five soldiers following him. They weren't falling for any tricks this time. Whatever kind of evasive manuever Ray tried, they kept on him, pushing their speed faster in order to pass him. Just when one almost had him, it was hit with a dart. 

The pain caused the bug to cry out and suddenly he fell behind and exploded. The other bugs were quite surprised, each crying out for their fallen member. Ray too was quite shocked. Looking over, he spotted a car with Kit, Sabrina, Mr. Andrews, and Capt. Capacitor in it. It was Kit who had taken the shot. "Need a hand, Ray?" Sabrina asked, smiling over the side. She tossed him a dart gun and waved goodbye as the car lurched forward. 

Matrix and AndrAIa had been running through alleys, trying to escape from their pursuers. Every time they thought they had lost them, they heard the loud, familiar hissing from behind and the running started again. Gun's energy cell was running very low and Matrix couldn't afford to waste any of it playing hit or miss with these things. They were still running when they heard a whistle from above them. "Sabrina!" they both exclaimed, seeing their daughter hanging out the side of a car. 

"Hey to you too, folks." the girl grinned. 

"What're you doing out here?" AndrAIa demanded. 

"Why aren't you in the Principal Office?" Matrix asked. 

"Look, I came to give you guys a hand, all right?" she said, shaking her head. Parents were so weird sometimes."Here, catch!" She threw two guns down to them, which they each caught. 

"A dart gun?" Matrix asked, looking at the thing in his hand. "How is this supposed to help?" 

"Daddy, stop asking basic questions." Sabrina chastized. "You'll have a use for it, okay? Just trust me on this." 

The car drove off, with Sabrina waving goodbye to her parents. The two looked at each other in confusion, before the hissing got louder. Turning to face the herd, AndrAIa replied, "I hope she's right about this." 

Kalyle Daniels stood in the middle of Baudway, watching as soldiers started to swarm around him. He would have venegance today. Unseething his sword, he slashed at everything that came towards him, revelling in the sounds of pain that echoed through the area. Every bug he deleted felt wonderful to him, made him stronger, happier. He was doing this for all those systems that had been lost, for those families that had lost a loved one, most of all, he did it for his family. 

He ignored the rumblings of the car that pulled up next to him. "Get away from me!" he shouted, taking out three more bugs. 

"Hey man, we're trying to help you out here!" Sabrina called, shooting a soldier and causing it to explode. 

"Leave me alone!" the cadet cried. "This is my fight! I don't need your help!" 

"We shouldn't even be helping after what you've done!" Kit exclaimed. 

In a burst of fury, Kalyle destroyed every soldier that flew around him, slicing them in half or in pieces. Afterwards, he stood, breathing heavily. An evil, gratified smile came to his lips, his dreams coming true. The occupants in the car sat and watched as the young sprite stood there among the fading bodies of his victims, silently laughing to himself. 

"That guy is one chip short of a functioning motherboard." Sabrina replied. 

Most of the soldiers had been destroyed and the few workers that strayed were quickly put somewhere where they couldn't do any harm. The lab techs were quickly devising a way to rid the system of their presence and any nest they could find. Mouse was able to over ride the hidden file command and went in search of the nest. 

Imagine the surprise when it was discovered _two_ nests had been in Mainframe. 

One not far from the Principal Office hanger and the other in the darkened alley behind Dot's Diner. 

The second was too close for comfort, the way Bob saw it. 

Turbo's recon teams got there around clean up time and it was nice having a larger group scanning for other potential nests. The scientists were able to create an insecticide in order to rid themselves of the bugs they had trapped. But the gas was toxic to those it came in contact with, so special masks and suits had to be worn when using. It was the only way to be sure the bugs would surely die. 

Kalyle Daniels would be able to leave when the recons left. He wasn't surprised when only Bob came to see him off. When he had called Turbo, the Prime Guardian told him they would be having a very long talk in his office once he returned to the Guardian Academy. And after that, he'd be on suspension for how ever long Turbo deemed fit. At any other time, Kalyle would've huffed about such a thing happening, but this time he was ready to take anything. He had avenged his family's murder. Anything he got now would surely lessen in comparasion. 

Bob stuck out his hand, but Kalyle just smirked. "Trying to be gracious, 452?" he asked. 

"I'm simply saying thank you and have a safe trip back." Bob said through gritted teeth. 

"You don't have to." Daniels replied. "I did my job, you did yours. Let's call it even, why don't we?" The young cadet turned to go, but stopped. "Don't ever lose your family to something as disgusting and horrible, 452." he said. "You have no idea what it's like." 

With that, the cadet formed a portal and was soon out of Mainframe.   


**Epilogue**

Bob and AndrAIa sat in a booth in the Diner. Both looked up at the clock and wondered where their spouses were. Sabrina and Kit sat at the bar, doing make up work, and having a byte to eat. Bob looked at the clock again and shook his head. _Where in the Net were they?_ Something was definitely going on. He hadn't seen Dot nor her brothers for at least a minute. Every time he tried to corner her in her office, she'd escape saying she had to work on something. 

AndrAIa had gotten the same run around with both Matrix and Enzo. Those three were up to something. She also saw Phong less and less, an odd occurance, seeing as the old sprite was permanately stationed at the Principal Office. The game sprite didn't like it. Something was up and she and Bob couldn't get one answer from their spouses. 

A vidwindow appeared to their side, Dot's face looking back at them. "Hey, where are you guys?" she asked, seeing Bob and Andri. 

"We're at the Diner." Bob said. "Where're _you_?" 

"I'm in G Prime for the dedication ceremony." Dot replied, shrugging her shoulders. 

Bob looked at AndrAIa, AndrAIa looked at Bob. "What're you talking about?" AndrAIa asked. 

Dot sighed. Where had these two been? "The dedication ceremony for the new memorial." Dot said, looking at both of them. 

AndrAIa looked at Bob, Bob looked at AndrAIa. "No, really." Bob said, chuckling. "What are you talking about?" 

Dot rolled her eyes. "Why don't you two bring Kit and Sabrina and come over here and you'll see what I'm talking about. Okay? Dot out." The vidwindow closed, still leaving the two sprites confused. 

"Hey guys." Bob said, calling over the two children. "Do you have any idea about a dedication ceremony in G Prime?" 

"No, but there's been construction there for the last minute." Sabrina replied. 

"I've noticed that, too." AndrAIa said. 

"Okay, I'm deeply confused, so let's head over to that ceremony thing." Bob replied, standing. 

The four left the Diner, maximized their zipboards and headed for G Prime, the former location of the Silicon Tor. As they drew near, there was indeed some sort of activity in the area. Upon closer inspection, a small stage had been set up in front of a large tarp. Phong stood to one side talking to Enzo, who was wearing a suit, jacket, and a tie. And shorts. Dot and Matrix stood talking to a one binome wearing a construction hat. Dot was in her white and black shirt and black business skirt, Matrix was also dressed in suit and tie. 

AndrAIa shook her head, not sure if she was seeing what she saw. You literally had to pull teeth in order to get the brothers to dress up, more less get them in a suit and tie. The four landed up front, where they could get a first hand glimpse at this memorial that had somehow been constructed under their noses. After the crowd had settled down, Phong rolled to the podium and cleared his throat. 

"Citizens of Mainframe," he began. "We are here to celebrate and remember those who have given their lives to ensure that we strive today. With the idea of our Command.Com, Dot Matrix, we are able to bring you this memorial. And now, our Command.Com, Dot Matrix." 

Phong rolled over to stand next to Matrix and Enzo, as Dot made her way to the podium. 

"Good morning to you all." she said. "As Phong stated, the building behind me will be a rememberance to those that have gone before us and to those that may or may not go after us. This memorial is a reflection of the ideas of myself and that of my brothers. There's really nothing else I can see, so why don't you see what it is we're here for today? I present to you, the residents of the system of Mainframe, The James and Patricia Matrix Memorial Building." 

A thunderous applause went up as the large tarp fell and a beautiful white building stood behind it. On the front, in large golden lettering, was the title of the building. The large group began to enter the building, passing Dot and her brothers. When Bob, AndrAIa, and the two children got there, Enzo spotted them and asked, "What took you guys so long?" 

"We were unaware of a dedication ceremony." AndrAIa joked. 

"Where'd you get the idea for this?" Bob asked, walking over to Dot. 

"Well, after having a long talk with Matrix and Enzo, we all realized we were holding our parents responsible for something that was probably out of their control." Dot smiled, sadly. "This was kind of our apology. Nothing can bring our parents back, Bob, but at least we can give our children the chance to get to know their grandparents." 

"They'd be proud of you, Dot." Bob replied, kissing her cheek. 

The memorial was huge compared to its outward appearence. The floors sparkled and the murmuring of those inside could be heard through out. Kit found himself in another section of the place, surprised at where he had been led to. He was in the science room. An entire room dedicated to his grandparents. They each had their very own wall with a picture of them hanging on it. Underneath was listed all their accomplishments, both together and separaetly from each other. The boy looked around in awe, unaware that Dot stood behind him. 

"Do you like it?" she asked softly. 

"This is incredible." he whispered, gazing all around him. 

"You know, I had forgotten everything they had done in their lives." she replied, walking around and viewing the finished product. "I mean, I knew of some of their accomplishments, but not all. And I know Enzo and Matrix were too young to remember much except for the experiment. I guess I kept that in mind too." 

"This is great, Mom." he said, turning to look at her. "I mean, really great. I had no idea they did all this stuff." 

"Neither did I," she sighed. 

They stood in silence, looking and reading. Kit swallowed hard. "Mom?" he asked. When she turned to look down at him, he didn't look up. "What would you think if...well...you know, like...what would... okay, how would you feel if...um..." 

"How would I feel if what?" 

Kit gulped. "How would you feel if I were to...um...oh, I don't know...go into science?" he asked. "As like a career?" He closed his eyes, waiting for an explosion. But none came. 

"Are you sure?" Dot asked. It wasn't a surprise to her to hear it. 

Kit nodded and sighed. "I think so." he said. "I mean, I won't if you and Dad don't think I should, but... well...I really like it." 

Dot knelt down to him and looked him in the eyes. "Christopher, it doesn't matter to me or your father what you plan to do in life." she said. "As long as you're happy, that's what matters." 

"Yeah, I know, but..." the boy looked around before turning back to his mother. "I don't want you or Enzo or Matrix to hate me if I do." 

Dot gripped him by the shoulders. "Listen to me," she began. "The three of us were wrong to be hating our parents for so long. The experiment was an accident, we've always known that, but...some things just stuck with us and they shouldn't have. No matter what you do, whether you're a guardian, a baker, a Command.Com, or a scientist, we'll always love you. I'll always love you. Do you understand that?" 

Kit nodded. 

"Whatever you do, Kitten, I'll always be proud of you. Just like I'm proud of Enzo and Matrix." She smiled at him. "You're my little boys. Nothing you three will ever do can make me hate you. I'm proud of you, Christopher. I always am." 

The boy smiled and hugged his mother. Science may have been his calling now, but it could change at any time. Right now, he was proud that his mother had the confidence in him in case he should try. He had come so close to losing her and now she was here, hugging him and kissing him on the forehead. "Come on," she said, standing and taking his hand. "Let's go find out where your father and the twins got to." 

The two walked out of the room, Dot casting one last glance and smiling. Bob had to be right. Her parents were proud of her and her brothers and they would certainly be proud of Kit and Sabrina. She had no idea what the future held for the two children or even their siblings, but she knew it would be great and wonderful. This wasn't the end of the story. 

It was just the beginning. 

**The End**


	5. BEGINNINGS: Arc 1: Beginnings

**Every story has a beginning. Sometimes the beginning is split into many chapters of life, each bringing forth new beginnings for the story to hold. Either way, the story always starts with the beginning. This story has four beginnings, broken down into four different arcs. This is the first arc. Some of this story is based in part on Season 4, but only the first arc or "movie" DAEMON RISING. Obviously, if you've read the three stories leading up to this, you will know Hexadecimal will be in the story, but Dr. Welman Matrix will not, as it would confuse those of you that have read the first stories. As always, thoughts and flashbacks are italicized.******

**Disclaimer: I, of course, do not own Reboot. But oh man, if I did!**

**Beginnings**

**Arc 1 - Chapter 1 - The First Meeting**

_He had just arrived in the system as a mistake. He couldn't believe he had made such a huge mistake as to miss a whole system and land into another. Mainframe. That was the name of it. When he had first stepped from the portal, he was in an alley. And not just an alley. A dark and kinda scary alley. He immediately looked around at his surroundings. He was in front of some place called Al's Wait and Eat. A rough neck bar by the looks of it. He turned back around. There. In the distance. The Principal Office. Maybe he could get some straight answers._

And that's how Robert Lan had come into the system of Mainframe. A sheer and complete accident. But staying in the system wasn't. He liked the place. It was certainly nice. It was beautiful, very city like, but small in comparison to his home in the Super Computer. He had grown up there and had lived there until now. The Super Computer was huge. It was like five Mainframes put together. It was his home system. He was born there, gone to school there, even became a guardian there. 

That was why he was in Mainframe. 

Bob, as everyone called him, was supposed to be in a system called Omacron. He had just graduated from the Academy and was eager to get out and into the Net. Into a system he could and would 'mend and defend'. His teacher and Prime Guardian, Turbo, had hand chosen him to go to Omacron. It was the prime's home system and he couldn't think of a better guardian to defend it then his favorite student. So Turbo had given him the address and Bob headed out. 

Only to get lost and end up in Mainframe. 

It had been about three minutes since his slip up and he still wondered why he was there. The Command.Com, an elderly sprite named Phong, said he could arrange to set him back on his path to Omacron, which apparently wasn't very far. Bob had been all set to go, too, if he hadn't laid eyes on the most gorgeous sprite he had ever seen. Green skinned, short black hair, beautiful violet eyes...and an independent streak to boot. 

That usually summed up Dot Matrix. 

The young woman was maybe an hour or so older than Bob and already she had half of Mainframe in her possession. She already owned and ran the very popular Dot's Diner in the Baudway sector, but she was big on Wall Street too. Or so he had heard. And on top of that, she was raising a small child, her brother Enzo. Bob didn't know how to approach the situation about Dot's parents. An experiment gone wrong had taken their lives as well as the lives of the other sprites and the sister city to Mainframe. Phong had given Bob strong caution as to bringing it up. Soon after their parents had been deleted, the trauma had taken a hold of Enzo and nearly deleted him as well. Bob knew that wouldn't win him any special favors if he brought that up with either Matrix. 

But even in the three minutes he had spent and lived in Mainframe, he liked the system and it's inhabitants, especially that certain sprite who ran Dot's Diner. Bob had had plenty of girlfriends back home, but none like Dot. The guardian would admit to himself that he was certainly attracted to her and spent a lot of time at the Diner. Bob actually figured getting Dot to go out with him would be fairly easy. 

Wrong! 

Whenever she _was _around, she was always working on business deals and things along that nature. Bob was left in the cold, much like little Enzo. The kid was pretty cool. A little hyper active, a little impatient, but an overall good kid. If Bob hoped spending time with Enzo would give him the advantage with Dot, he was surely mistaken. But in the end, he didn't really mind it. He enjoyed spending time with Enzo. Jetball, Data Slides, it was always a fun second with the two. 

Of course, Bob didn't enjoy the lectures he got from Dot afterwards. 

"Bob, he missed the first half of school today because he was with you." she had told him yesterday afternoon. 

"But Sis, Bob is so much fun!" Enzo insisted. "He's more fun than school." 

"Didn't I say go to your room?" Dot asked, giving her brother a very stern look. 

Enzo was about to protest, but decided against it. If there was one thing he knew, it was to_ never _go against Dot. The boy sighed, waved goodbye to Bob, and headed downstairs to the small apartment, where his room and homework awaited him. "Look Dot, don't be mad at him." Bob said, trying to appease her. He didn't want to get Enzo in trouble. They were just having some fun. "We were just having some fun before school and we lost track of time." 

"Lost track of time??" Dot repeated. "Bob, he needs to be in school. He doesn't have time to go off and run about with you all second." 

"Work, work, work." Bob mocked. "This that_ all _you're about?" 

"Being irresponsible, is that what_ you're _all about?" Dot shot back. 

Bob winced a little at the statement. It reminded him of something he used to hear a long time ago. From someone he had long forgotten. The crack stung more now than it had when he heard it countless times as a boy. He was spontaneous, life on the fly. He liked having fun, there was nothing wrong with that. But it seemed everywhere he went, someone found a problem with it and ultimately him. 

Dot was about to have Bob leave when she noticed the distant look in his eyes. She inwardly cursed herself for making the comment. It was rude and she certainly didn't mean it. Bob had been wonderful these last minutes. Ever since the Twin City...she and Enzo were the only sprites left and with her being much older than her brother, he didn't have anyone to hang out with. Then along came Bob. Even if it was by accident, it was a happy one. Enzo was happier now and so was she. Even if she didn't approve of the two of them going into games, she had to admit Bob was a great guy. 

"Bob, I'm sorry for that last comment." she said, sighing. "I didn't mean it." It was though he didn't even hear her. "Bob? Bob?" 

"What?" 

"Are you okay?" she asked. "You seemed to go offline for a bit." 

"Sorry!" Bob said, as a blush came to his cheeks. He couldn't believe he had just blanked out in front of her. "I was thinking of something. You were saying?" 

"I was saying that I was sorry. For that irresponsible crack. I didn't mean it. I just wish you hadn't gone and did what you did." 

"I'm sorry, too, Dot." he said, hanging his head. "I didn't want to get Enzo in trouble or anything. I should've said no though." 

Dot sighed and shook her head. "It's okay." she said, giving him a warm smile. "Just don't do it again, okay?" 

Bob returned the smile and turned to go, but then stopped and came back. Grinning sheepishly, he asked, "Could I trouble you for an energy shake?" 

* * * 

Dot smiled at what had happened earlier. She had to give Bob credit. He had taken on a lot in order to be the friend of Enzo Matrix. Her brother was a handful. He was always bouncing off the walls, jumping around, talking a mile a nano...all in all he was a great little kid. He had taken the deaths of their parents very hard and the fact that she had almost lost him shortly after losing her parents...she was protective, but why not? He was all she had left. If anything were to happen to him in a game... 

The young sprite yawned and stretched. The files she had been looking at were starting to blur together by now. But she had to get something done because every time there was a lull in work, she would immediately start thinking about...Bob. _There I go again,_ she thought, shaking her head. The young handsome guardian had certainly made an impression on her. When she had first met him, he and Phong had been ready on making a portal to send Bob to his rightful system. But as soon as she made the scene, it was like Bob forgot he had to be somewhere else. 

And Dot was taken, too. Why shouldn't she? Tall, blue, and cute. Those big brown eyes melted her every time. It was really hard staying mad at Bob. But the idea of a relationship with the guardian was simply out of the question. First and foremost, they were complete opposites. She liked to plan things, know exactly what would happen and what should happen. Bob was carefree, let whatever happens happen. Though Dot admired that ~and was maybe just a slight bit envious~ it didn't change anything. 

And she certainly wasn't attracted to him. 

Forget the fact that she changed the password on her organizer to be GUARDIAN. It was just very simple to remember, that was all. And never mind that she had bought blue sheets for her bed soon after Bob had arrived. Coincidence. Pure and simple coincidence. There was nothing there and there would be nothing in the hours to come. Besides, Bob was a guardian after all. He could have any girl he wanted, so why would he settle for a simple data sprite? 

* * * 

After he had sulked for a while, then did his homework, Enzo didn't feel so mad at Dot anymore. Of course, that didn't stop him from giving her the silent treatment the next morning, but a talk with Bob changed him around. He liked Bob. He was so cool. The Twin City had a guardian once. Well, before...and Enzo was all by himself. No friends, no one except Dot. Not that he didn't love his sister to death, he did, but she wasn't a little kid like him. 

Bob didn't make him feel like a kid. 

The guardian was so much fun. Whatever Enzo wanted to do, Bob would do it. Even if it landed him in trouble with Dot. Boy, did _those _two have the hots for each other. Enzo was a kid, but he wasn't basic. He had an ability to know what things were going on. His father had always said he had the special gift of empathy, knowing how other people felt, even when they didn't know it themselves. James Matrix had just started telling his son about the talent of empathy and how some people could actually let their feelings be known to people without saying or doing anything. 

That was a cycle or so before the explosion. 

Enzo had been devastated learning that his parents were gone. He remembered being in the Principal Office for like seconds afterwards. Then he woke up in the medical unit, with Dot sitting next to his bed. She and Phong had told him he had been there for at least a cycle and a half. The boy didn't remember anything, but Phong said it was natural "after a tragedy such as this, one's perceptions change". What the elder sprite had meant by that, Enzo didn't know. But he did know that he hadn't been in the best of moods. 

Until Bob came. 

The instant Enzo saw him in his dress blues, he tackled him. Tackled him and launched a barrage of questions at him while sitting on his chest. And the guardian just laughed. Enzo hoped Bob liked him. He had been here for three minutes already, but the boy always felt the guardian would leave at any nano. Just like his parents. He had to go into the games with Bob. He had to make sure Bob came back. And of course, he wanted to help too. Bob was suddenly becoming the older brother he never had and the father he had lost.   


**From the beginning, you move into the middle. But even the middle can mark the beginning of something. You have reached the second chapter of the first arc. Though at first glance, it may seem like the end of a story. The end of protection, the end of a truce, the end of a romance that had not yet begun...**

  


**Arc 1 - Chapter 2 - Enter the Web**

It was over now. 

Bob knew that in his heart as soon as Megabyte had grabbed him. He had thought the virus would infect him in front of his friends. How horrid would that be? The system's guardian now working for the system's viruses. But Bob couldn't have imagined what Megabyte had in mind, even when he was thrown into the capsule. _He wouldn't do this,_ he thought. _He couldn't._

He did. 

Bob would later wish Megabyte had infected him or even deleted him. 

This was much, much worse. He was now floating around in a big red capsule, floating around in the darkness of the Web. The Web. The very thing he had been taught to fear, the very place he was told never to come. And it was dark. Incredibly dark. Only a few lights could be seen from where Bob was. They glowed vibrantly, almost calling to him, but there was no way he was leaving this box. 

"How could I have been so basic?" he chastised himself. 

He knew teaming up with Megabyte and Hexadecimal was random when it entered his mind, but the mere fact that they could double cross him never once sprung to life in his processor. He could've smacked himself. The guardian sighed and shook his head. It was all over now. He would probably never see Mainframe again. Megabyte was smart. Very very clever. The virus must've had this planned all along. Of course! How do you get rid of the biggest threat to your taking over? 

Team up with them and then use their plan against them. 

Bob had screwed up. Royally. And worse, he had left the system without a defender. No. No, that wasn't true. Enzo was still there. Enzo had the protocol, he could defend Mainframe. Bob smacked himself in the head. Did he actually believe an one-one hour young boy could defend a system with two viruses in it? 

"I don't think so." 

* * * 

Enzo couldn't believe it. 

Not Bob. 

He had believed several hours ago that Bob would leave in an instant, just like his parents. Everything would be going wonderfully and then BANG! Bob would leave. But over the hours, the little voice that would tell him that had gotten softer and softer until Enzo no longer heard it. 

Until now. 

It was actually screaming at him. _This is Mom and Dad all over again! _it said. And it was. The scene was almost the same. There they were in the Principal Office, just like before. And like before, it was Dot who had told him what happened. He remembered taking Glitch in his hands and choking back a sob. He felt this weird force pulling at him. It was similar from the one he had felt when he heard the news of his parents. But this time, he didn't take the bait. 

He had a job to do. 

Bob had made him a guardian and as guardian of Mainframe, he would defend it to the best of his abilities. 

Megabyte would pay. 

* * * 

After Bob had calmed down and looked at his situation, he knew he had some hope. Albeit, a very very _small _chance, but hope none the less. Sure, there was nothing _he _could do, but he put his trust in his friends. His true friends. Mouse, Phong, Enzo...they would come to save him. All he had to do was wait. He would wait and in any nano, they would come and get him. 

A few breaths later, he knew that was impossible. 

He was on his own. 

Bob looked out the door of his prison and sighed. He was on the verge of tears. There was no way he'd be able to survive out here. Degradation would wither a sprite away, deform him and ultimately, he would delete. Bob was becoming very frightened now. He was going to die out here. If the degradation didn't get him, the numerous Web creatures that were out here would. He looked around his cell and started to see a few cracks. 

It would be over soon. 

Bob started using the breathing techniques Phong had taught him. He was trying to think of more pleasant things, but his processor wouldn't allow it. All he could think of was seeing Dot and Mouse on the platform below as he went surging through the portal. In a quick nano, the portal was gone. Mainframe was offline, he was sure of that. No one would be able to break Mouse's codes. The best of the best had just sealed him out and sealed the system in. 

Bob opened his eyes, a few tears forming at the edges. He was in serious trouble. He certainly couldn't go about floating all second, assuming of course he would last that long. He was a sitting target for anything that happened to be hungry and viewed him as lunch. He looked down at his wrist. Without Glitch, he was really in a bind. He looked out again at the vastness. The Web could really be a beautiful place, if you were looking at it from a different point of view than Bob had. Lights glowed against a black backdrop and it was peaceful and quiet out. 

One might say it was a romantic place. 

Bob could see him and Dot having dinner out here, laughing, talking about their second. Really enjoying themselves. Of course that wouldn't be happening. He and Dot weren't even a couple. He had tried to tell her how he felt, when they had been cornered by Gigabyte and all she said was, "I know." What did she know? That he was attracted to her? That he had fallen in love with her? That he wanted to spend his life with her, help her raise Enzo as his own? What? What in the Net did that sprite know?! Bob shook his head clear. He was starting to become very dizzy. Looking up at the roof of his capsule, he could see little pixels eating away at his covering. 

It wouldn't be long now. He wondered if this is what happens when you degrade, when you're on the steps of deletion. 

*** 

Bob lay on his cot, eyes opened, staring up at the ceiling above him. He didn't know how long he had been out here, out in the Web. It felt like hours already. He had survived though, something he didn't think would be possible. He barely remembered what had happened in that capsule. He had blacked out, yes, and had come to in a little hut. He had been surrounded by four badly deformed sprites, who either looked surprised to see him or didn't look like they were in a good mood. 

He had come across a group of nomads called the Web Riders. 

They had been sprites, just like him, when they had gotten lost in the Web. It didn't matter how they had gotten there, they just were there and had been there for a very long time. Over time, they learned to live in the Web, survive in the Web without deleting, but the price was still high. They were still degraded. Their faces weren't sprite and neither was their speech. The one that had found him, a sprite they had named Golyn, had said the degradation wasn't just outside, but inside too. The air being so dense, it could easily crush one's vocal chords, which would explain the Web speech and the changes Bob could feel in his own voice. 

Golyn wasn't as degraded as the others, but he was getting close to it. He still had his normal speech pattern though, that's how he was able to tell Bob things he couldn't understand. The group had been surprised indeed to find him. It was rare that guardians ever came to the Web, so to find one floating around in a giant eyesore was interesting to say the least. Golyn had been the interpreter when Bob was brought before their leader, Lynux. The elder said Bob could stay with them, as long as he pulled his fair share. Bob agreed, but added he wouldn't be staying for long. 

At that, the others laughed. 

Golyn had explained that many of the riders had been there for hours, days even. When some first got there, they too believed they would get home. But as the seconds turned to minutes and the minutes turned to hours, they lost their hope of ever seeing their home and made a new start. Bob refused to give in to the temptation. He had to get back to Mainframe. He could get back to Mainframe. He _would _get back to Mainframe. Bob repeated that chant over and over for those first few seconds he was there. Whenever a comment about home would be made, he said that chant. Sometimes quietly to himself, other times out loud where the riders could hear him. 

But as Golyn said, the seconds turned to minutes... 

But had the minutes turned to hours, Bob had wondered. Maybe no one_ was _coming to rescue him. Perhaps there was no one left in Mainframe. Perhaps he had been right all that while ago, in his little capsule. Perhaps the end had been near. Enzo was just a boy when Bob gave him those protocols. Bob hadn't been able to stop Megabyte and Hexadecimal, what made him think Enzo could? He had been here in the camp for so long now, he was starting to forget faces. Every night, he tried picturing one of his friends so he wouldn't forget their faces. Mouse was easy to keep a hold of and Phong was still there, but one face he tried more than any. 

Dot. 

Bob would try at least twice to remember her face. He could still remember her voice, but her face...Her face was fading from his memory. As was Enzo's. He was starting to listen to the other riders, about forgetting her and looking to one of the other female riders for companionship. Bob didn't want that. He wanted Dot. Dot was the sprite for him and the more time he spent in this camp, the more he kicked himself for not telling Dot how he felt. Why hadn't he just kissed her in that alleyway like some spammed movie? If he had, they would probably not have survived Gigabyte, but at this point, Bob could really care less. 

Worse yet, Bob was starting to get settled in this camp. He was doing the every second things that these people had been doing since they had arrived. The tasks were becoming mundane, they were becoming life. Just like the every second tasks he did in Mainframe had become his life. Bob was starting to forget the name of the places he lived, starting to forget the people who meant so much to him. Bob hated being here, he would always hate being here. No matter what they others said, Bob couldn't become one of them, even though he could plainly see he was starting to. 

His boyish looks were long gone. His blue skin was now a dull hue in comparison. He had scars lining his face and neck, his hair was longer than he ever wanted it, and his usually bright brown eyes didn't have their normal shine. Golyn was right. The scars he had on the outside weren't nearly as painful as the ones he held inside. The Web Riders did things he never would've thought of, things that his protocol told him were basically wrong. But he wasn't a guardian anymore. He wasn't even Bob. He had been named Interface, because of his dual personalities, but now he was only Interface. The sprite that lived here now wasn't Robert Lan, Guardian 452. 

* * * 

Bob lay on his cot, eyes opened. It was morning now, he could hear the riders moving about, getting their chores done for the second. Bob was content on staying in his hut. He wasn't about to leave today. Every second he would get up and do his chores, talk to the riders, have something to eat ~if you could actually call what they ate _food_~ then he would head back to his hut. He knew the others talked about him, said he was in mourning for the sprite he loved. Bob rarely talked about Mainframe, because he couldn't remember that much about it. He tried though, he tried to think of the old times, but all it did was bring more pain to him. 

He finally came to terms. He probably wasn't going home. 

Golyn stood and waited for Bob outside. The two were going to herd some of the Web creatures, check on a pod that had been moving and make sure they were all right. Right now, Golyn was worried about his friend. It had been almost an hour since he found Bob in that capsule and still the guardian was at pain. Golyn could see clearly that his missed his home, but more importantly this Dot he had heard so much about. He didn't know much about her, but could see Bob cared for her a great deal. Talking about her always made Bob trail off in a sentence, his mind wondering off to her. 

Golyn felt sorry for his friend. He knew it was tough. It had been tough for him to except that he wouldn't be returning home, but with Bob it seemed different. Bob was a guardian and he felt like he had let his system down. Maybe it was the fear that if and when he returned, there wouldn't be a system for him to return to. Even though he was now Interface, the guardian insisted his close friends in the camp refer to him as Bob or even Guardian, just so he wouldn't forget. So he wouldn't forget who he had been at one time. 

Bob sighed for the countless time that morning. He figured Golyn was outside waiting for him, as usual. He didn't want to get up. He was in too much pain. His back hurt and he had formed a bruise on left shoulder from a fight he had been in. They had been alerted that a hunter's ship was seen. Only poachers dare brave the harshness of the Web, in order to take the hides of Web creatures and sale them to the highest bidder on the Net. The poachers had been surprised by the group, but quickly launched into an attack. Even though they were out numbered, the poachers did everything they could to delete the riders and Bob. 

Bob had paid with bruises. The poachers had paid with their lives. 

Bob hated doing what he had learned to do. He hated deleting people, whether they be binomes, sprites, viruses, or what have you. But as Interface, one of the Web Riders, it was part of his persona. Every second, Bob lost a piece of himself, lost pieces of his past as he spent more and more time out in the Web. There had to be a way out of here. Not that he didn't appreciate all the riders had done for him, but he wasn't one of them. He refused to be, but little by little, the rider known as Interface was becoming a constant presence in the little hut the guardian now occupied. 

"Guardian, get up!" Golyn cried from outside. 

"Go away." 

The degraded sprite stormed into the hut and stood over Bob. "News has come another ship is in the Web." he said, sternly. "They're hunting a pod as we speak. It's a pirate ship. You shall ride with my group today." With that, Golyn left the hut to let Bob get dressed. The guardian sat up and sighed again._ Here we go again,_ he thought, grabbing the heavy armor that would protect him from the elements of his harsh environments. He picked up the helmet as he started to walk towards his door. It was time for Interface to come to life. 

* * * 

A battle had already taken place aboard the pirate vessel, the Web Riders having been the winners. The passengers still had their lives, they should be grateful. Now the riders waited for Interface to come. He was their interpreter to the sprites of the Net. He could tell whether or not these were friend or foe. Some of the sprites that passed through here were on a joyride to see the Net and usually got lost. Most were poachers and pirates, usually after the same thing. Poaching was a serious offense to the Web Riders. Web creatures were sacred to them and they protected them to the hilt. 

As Bob approached the ship, it sent a memory chain to his processor. He recognized this ship. He knew this ship! He had been_ on _this ship before! He stood on his zipboard above the crew and looked around. Most were binomes he vaguely remembered from somewhere, but the two that stood near the cabin hold...a small binome wearing a large red hat, with tattoos on his face, and a hook for a hand. Bob knew this binome. It was the Crimson Binome, Gavin Capacitor. He was a reformed software pirate. They had kidnapped him once and he had been saved. 

By the captain's business partner, Dot Matrix. 

The green sprite that stood next to him Bob didn't remember. No, that wasn't quite right. He did remind the guardian of someone. He was tall and muscular, with a gold, metallic ball for an eye. But his other eye, bright and violet...Bob only knew one family who had those color eyes. The same eye color he had focused on in his sleep. The eye color that belonged to the sprite he had fallen in love with, the same color she shared with her brother. 

Enzo. 

Things seem to happen very quickly. After telling the riders to stand down, he soon found himself below decks trying to save a beautiful tan sprite. It didn't take Bob long to figure out that this must be AndrAIa. Adult, yes, but still the same AndrAIa. He had so many questions going through his mind. If Enzo and AndrAIa and Frisket were out here with Capacitor and the crew of the Saucy Mare, where was Dot? And Mouse and Phong? How did the two young sprites get out here? Had he been in the Web for so long? When he left, they were kids and now they were young adults. Did the Web somehow keep him young, while his friends aged? 

Those questions would be answered soon. Right now, he had a life to save. 

After AndrAIa had been saved and the party had been thrown and things had been explained by both Enzo, now known as Matrix, and AndrAIa, Bob sat in his cabin. So he hadn't been gone for as long as he thought, an hour according to the information Turbo had given Matrix. They had to get home to Mainframe, to Dot, to everyone. They would have to stop Megabyte, assuming the virus hadn't destroyed the system already. Hopefully they weren't too late. 

Bob wasn't too worried about that though. If anyone could survive for this long, it was Dot. But things would be different from here on out. He had changed. His life in the Web had changed him from the happy go lucky, life on the fly guardian he had been an hour ago. He was more reserved, quiet, reflective sometimes. He noted too that Matrix and AndrAIa had changed. Never mind their physical appearance ~Matrix had explained game time goes at a much faster rate, explaining why he and AndrAIa were about Bob's age or younger~ the two were different. 

Well, maybe not AndrAIa. If Bob had envisioned what AndrAIa would be like as an adult, this was how he saw her. She had grown up, wasn't the naive game sprite she had been as a child. She had a wicked sense of humor and was always laughing, even at her curiosity at touching a Web creature's egg. She was full of life, just as she had been before he left. Enzo on the other hand, was a different story completely. 

Bob barely recognized him. 

He was huge. Before, he had to look up to the guardian, but now the renegade could look Bob in the eyes. He could easily take Bob in a fight, that was for sure, and he had a nasty temper. Bob knew all too well of the Matrix temper ~Dot had shown him that when she socked him in the eye~ but Matrix's was extreme. He was a shoot first, ask questions later kind of guy and though Bob could see how that could be a trait from his childhood, his little friend had completely changed. 

Matrix had gone through a lot while game hopping, that Bob had learned from AndrAIa. In fact, he noticed AndrAIa was the only person to address Matrix by his first name. Captain Capacitor had brought the large sprite down a few notches while he had been distraught over AndrAIa. Both young sprites were slightly hesitant to speak of any painful moments in the games, Matrix the first one to voice a complaint. Bob could respect that though. There were many things he didn't want to discuss about being in the Web either. 

But now, they were going home. They had to get back to whatever home awaited them.   


**Friends and family are lost, but reunited when it counts most. A system in danger of collapse, an unrivaled plan, a risky decision, a glorious restart. This is chapter three of the arc. Sometimes the beginning of new things isn't all what it's cracked up to be.******

  


**Arc 1 - Chapter 3 - Welcome Home**

The elderly sprite looked out into the vidwindow in front of him. The second was glorious indeed. The system had survived, incredibly, miraculously from not one, but two damaging forces. First, the system had been converted into Megaframe, the name embodying everything that was wrong and evil in the Net and how a virus could get so greedy, so malice, it was ridiculous. Then, even after Megabyte had been defeated, the system of Mainframe still cried in pain. 

They were on the verge of collapse. 

The system was shutting down due to the devastation the virus had brought them. After the majority of the citizens had been brought to the Principal Office, hope was not evident. They had only managed to prevent the subsequent death of the patient. That is, until an idea was hatched. Their guardian had a plan that could save the system, but it all relied on the User. To put so much faith in a being they had never seen but inside games and who could always take the form of something else was scary to say the least, but Bob had never let the system down. So they tried the plan. 

And it worked. It had actually worked. 

A restart was put forth into motion and the system revived with new energy. The Silicon Tor and all it's evilness was long gone, only a vacant space on the spot where it stood. Buildings that had been shattered were restored, binomes infected now became whole, released from the plight they had to serve. And to end it all, was a wonderful musical set up by the Mainframe Strolling Players. Phong sighed at the happiness he was in. The system was, for now, at peace. Even without the thought of a super virus lording over the Net, the system was at happier times. 

Now, for the sprites that occupied the system, this was not true. 

For the heroes that saved their home, their peace had not yet been found. If anything, their homecoming had only brought more pain into their lives. For those that had been lost ~Bob, AndrAIa, and Matrix~ their return to the system had brought about changes that for those who had stayed ~namely Dot~ could not yet handle. It seemed the close friends who had formed a family, were slowly falling apart. 

And the problems all stemmed between four factions: 

Dot Matrix. 

Robert Lan, Guardian 452 

Enzo Matrix. 

And another, younger Enzo Matrix. 

The last name on the list seemed to be causing the most conflict for the adults in the situation. It had been a great surprise to all when the system generated another, but younger Enzo. With the young Matrix in game sprite mode during the restart, the system naturally thought he didn't exist and so brought up his back up copy, who just happened to be zero-one. If one thought having a younger brother for the elder Matrix siblings would be a joy, they would be sadly mistaken. Matrix above all had difficulty in adjusting to his younger self. 

Enzo, on the other hand, thought it was pretty alphanumeric. 

The boy couldn't see what the problem was with the adults he was now surrounded with. He knew about Bob's time in the Web and knew about Matrix and AndrAIa's game hopping. If anything, the boy was solely disappointed at learning he had missed a war with Megabyte. Perhaps he was young and didn't know better, but Phong knew the Matrix family better than anyone. Young Enzo knew more than he let on. Whether he understood any of it was to be debated. 

But Phong knew the three adults were having trouble adjusting to the new ways of their lives. They all wanted things to be how they had been before. Even though Dot and Bob had shared a kiss on the steps of the Principal Office, the two were rarely seen with each other. Dot wasn't comfortable with this "new and improved" Bob, as Mike the TV had put it. Bob wasn't sure what exactly the problem was, but Phong could see he was willing to do anything if it meant Dot loved him as much as he did her. 

Matrix just resented it all. 

This Phong had learned from AndrAIa. Gone was the young boy that now ran around inside. The renegade would only talk to his girlfriend about the things that bothered him and that was only after some prying on her part. The game sprite herself felt that Matrix was planning on making a break of the system as soon as the Daemon thing was over. "That's what I'm afraid of, Phong." she had told him. "After spending so much time looking for home, I'm afraid Enzo's just going to turn around and run away." Phong also worried about that. Matrix seemed more temperamental, quick to jump into, or make, a fight with anyone he deemed a threat, even if it included Bob or himself. 

And the business between him and his sister...at least Matrix and Bob were on a slightly less hostile page. Phong gathered it was because they shared a common ground. They were both changed from the sprites everyone had come to know, even from the sprite they loved. Bob and Matrix both felt like they had let Dot down in some way, some way that they could only sense from each other, but never talked about it. For Matrix, having Enzo around only seemed to strengthen his insecurities about his presence in Mainframe. For Bob, it seemed like old times, but almost a betrayal to his friendship with Matrix. 

It left AndrAIa in an Enzo Matrix triangle. 

It left Dot with more personal problems on her hands. 

The young, newly elected Command.Com had too suffered. The knowledge that she had somehow given up hope of ever seeing her loved ones again, the knowledge that at some point she could've spared them from their journeys seemed to haunt her, causing her to distance herself from those she needed most. She had found an unlikely close friend in Mouse ~especially when the two had hated each other from the word go~ and the two always talked about things. But now, as Mouse had told him, she was "clammed up tighter than a pearl inside a mussel." 

Phong shook his head sadly. If this dissention continued, the super virus Daemon could easily come in and take the system. 

* * * 

Matrix lay on his bed, looking up at the ceiling. How could he have been so stupid? Of course leaving his icon in game sprite mode would cause the system to think he wasn't there, but how the Net was he supposed to know the system would restart? Now, he had to put with..._him._ The very thing that had haunted his nightmares was back. No matter what he did, all Matrix could think of was that random dream he had had. The one where Mainframe had been inside the game and he had come face to face with Enzo then. 

_There can be only one._

The phrase repeated in the large sprite's mind every time he closed his eyes, every time he saw Enzo around the Diner or in the Principal Office. Every time he was with Bob or Dot. _There can be only one._ He could see that clearly. Enzo was the one everyone remembered, the one everyone loved. Even AndrAIa loved him. "He is you after all." she had said. "And I loved you even then." He had been in competition for AndrAIa before, but never in his wildest dreams did he think he'd have to vie for her attention with himself! The thought made him even angrier than he was now. 

Matrix had done everything he could think of to put that weak little boy behind him and now he was back. And in full color. He certainly wasn't going anywhere. At least he didn't think he would. Matrix had weighed his options very carefully. He had to keep his icon in game sprite mode, _just in case_. User forbid something were to happen to _Little Enzo_. As long as Little Enzo is safe...he could just pound on something. It was clear to him he didn't belong here. They didn't need him here. He was just in the way. He couldn't even look his sister in the eye ~besides the fact that he towered well over her head~ and talk to her. _She has Little Enzo, she doesn't need me._

"Hey." 

"Hey." Matrix replied, not taking his eyes away from the ceiling. It wasn't like he didn't know who his visitor was. 

"So are you gonna lay in bed all second or what?" AndrAIa asked, leaning against the doorframe. 

"Yeah, whatever." 

She did not like this. AndrAIa hadn't seen Matrix so distraught since their time in the games. For her, it hadn't been a very big deal. She had lived in the games her whole life until she met Enzo. But for the young data sprite turned guardian cadet, being away from home and knowing it had been him who had left his system defenseless changed her loving, caring sprite into the hardened renegade that now lay on their bed inside the P.O. quarters. 

"Are you gonna talk to me?" she asked. 

Her lover sighed. "About what, Andri?" 

AndrAIa walked in, closing the door behind her. "We're not gonna go through this again, are we?" she asked, standing over him. 

"If you don't like it, you can always leave." he said, gruffly. 

The game sprite glared at him. _Stubborn, obstinate..._ "Don't get all high and mighty with me, Lover." she shot back. "I can dish it out just as bad as you can." With a huff, AndrAIa turned on her heel and headed for the door. 

"AndrAIa, don't go!" 

AndrAIa stopped, her hand hovering over the doorknob. She sighed as she turned back around to see Matrix sitting up in bed, his hand outstretched to her, a desperate look in his eyes. She took the offered hand and let him pull her down next to him. He hugged her tightly to him, resting his head on hers. "You love me, don't you?" he asked. 

She rolled her eyes and looked up at him. "That's a rather basic question, don't you think?" she asked, sarcastically. "Of course, I love you. I would do anything for you, go anywhere with you. I have always loved you, Enzo, and I always will." 

"I know, I know." he breathed. "Just right now, I just..." 

"Look," she interrupted. "Let's not go and make some hasty decisions we'll regret later, okay?" He knew what she meant. "Give it time, Lover. We're home. Let's not worry about anything else right now." 

"What if home_ is _the problem you're worried about?" 

"Then you've got me." she said, smiling at him. "And I'm not a problem, right?" 

Matrix grinned. "Not a big one anyway." 

"Hey!" she exclaimed, before being pinned on the bed and tickled. 

* * * 

Things were so cool. 

Cool and weird. 

Enzo just couldn't get over it. He had missed a war! Ugh! Where in the Net was he? But it wasn't completely bad. Bob had gone to the Web and survived. And now the little sprite had an older brother. Who just happened to be him when he got older! Enzo frowned. He thought Matrix was so cool, but he knew the big green giant didn't like him. Now his girlfriend AndrAIa like him. What a babe! If Enzo could grow up to be as big as Matrix and as cool as Bob, he could get a girlfriend like AndrAIa. But back to Matrix. Enzo didn't understand it. 

Why didn't he like him? 

Not liking Enzo meant that there was some part of the big guy that didn't like himself. Enzo smirked. That was something Phong would say probably, but that had to be it. But what? Enzo had seen the Strolling Players act and had understood the whole thing. The boy knew he was a copy. That didn't phase him. It was the fact that Matrix didn't want to be around him that deleted the boy. Enzo thought it was weird, too! He couldn't help but glance at the renegade every now and then, unbelieving that this would be him some second. 

But why didn't he like him? 

It couldn't possibly be because of what happen, could it? Surely Matrix didn't blame_ him _for losing that game? Enzo didn't even care about that. It wasn't even Matrix's fault. He did the best he could and he survived the games! He didn't know anyone who had done that. Of course, he didn't know many game sprites who lived outside of the games before either, but that was a moot point. Enzo looked up at the teacher. He had stopped paying attention a long time ago, since recess. He couldn't believe school was going on. _They just came through a war! _Why punish people more by having school? It just didn't make any sense. 

The boy sighed. Having Matrix around would be cool, but already it was having its downside. Now that Matrix was here, Dot refused to let him in the games. He guess he could understand. Matrix had lost a game and Dot had been heartbroken. But he wasn't Matrix. Well, not really. Like the others, Enzo wished things would go back to the old seconds. Bob was hardly ever at the Diner now and Matrix would never come. The two would usually go to Al's for a shake or something. Enzo knew Dot was sad about that. Why couldn't those two just start dating? They kissed, didn't they? Didn't that automatically make you and that person a couple? Enzo shook his head. 

Love. He wouldn't understand it. 

Enzo hated school. It was all right sometimes, but he was missing out on something cool, he knew it. He had heard Dot and AndrAIa talking about it. Some super virus who was after Bob and Matrix. They wouldn't be able to find Matrix, now that he was permanently in game sprite mode. Enzo wondered what would happen if Matrix switched out of it. Would he disappear? Would Matrix be the only one left? The renegade may not have liked the boy, but Enzo was definitely afraid for him. And Bob. They had taken care of Megabyte and even made Hex sane ~no small task in itself~ but they had never taken on a super virus. 

What would happen if they lost? 

* * * 

"Okay, what do we know so far?" 

Dot had called a meeting for that morning to discuss their new problem. Daemon. She had heard it from Bob as he talked to Phong. They had just come out of a war still intact and now they were being thrust right back into another one, this time for the future of the Net. Dot felt she was losing herself in it all. It just seemed to be an ongoing process. Just when things started to go right, they went downhill. Fast. 

"We're in lots of trouble, Dot darlin'." Mouse drawled, hopping up to sit on the edge of Dot's desk. 

They were all assembled in Dot's office, sitting or standing near her desk. All except Matrix, who was holding the wall up. Bob and Phong stood on either side of her, AndrAIa sat in a chair next to Mouse, who was swinging her legs back and forth. "I'm aware of that, Mouse, thanks." Dot replied, sarcastically. "I mean, what's the situation? What do we have to worry about?" 

"A super virus who's trying to take over the Net." Bob said. "How she infects and where she's held up, I don't know." 

"She's got the guardians working for her." Matrix said from the corner. 

"Guardians?" Bob exclaimed, surprised by this revelation. "Are you serious?" 

"No, I'm making this up as I go along." Matrix retorted. "Yes, I'm serious. I should know. They shot at us." 

"Children, please." Phong begged. "Let us start from the beginning." 

"Turbo says she has all of the Guardian Collective infected." Dot replied. She looked over at Bob. "Except for two." 

"And she's never going to find me." Matrix replied. 

Bob let this new development set in. He knew about Daemon, but he had no idea she had taken over the Collective. And now he and Matrix were in trouble. Correction. _He _was in trouble. "This is bad." he gulped. 

"This is as bad as bad can get, Sugah." Mouse replied. 

"Look," Dot said, looking at everyone. "She doesn't know where we are yet, so let's use that to our advantage. Second, she's damaging a lot of systems according to the report I got from Ray earlier. We can't let those people suffer needlessly. User knows, we know what that's like." She paused, remembering everything from the seconds of Megaframe. Turning to Bob, she said, "Third, we have to keep you save." The two looked at each other for a moment, an unspoken understanding passing between them. 

_Don't ever leave me again._

_I promise._

"We've got work to do." Dot continued, turning away from Bob. "Phong, check to see how our accommodations are. I want to make sure people have places to stay. Mouse, AndrAIa, I want those shields in top condition. Anything can happen. Enz...Matrix, think you can handle the games by yourself?" 

"I can handle a lot of stuff by myself." he answered. "I'm a big boy now." 

"Ugh!" AndrAIa exclaimed, rolling her eyes in exasperation. "Will this thing never end?" 

"Come on, Dre." Mouse said, hopping off the table and swatting the game sprite's shoulder. "We got stuff to do." 

* * * 

Somewhere in the Super Computer, a young virus is sitting in a chair. Her plans for Net wide domination are almost complete. She had come in and taken the Guardian Collective like some toy from a baby. It had been easy. Incredibly easy. The Guardians didn't even see it coming. She wasn't like any virus they had ever seen. She looked like a young sprite girl, beautiful pink skin, gorgeous blue eyes. And she hadn't come by force or even through the back door. 

She had just taught them the word. 

Once she had a few guardians under her spell, she continued until she reached the Prime Guardian, Turbo. He was a nice man. Once he had heard the word, he talked about his family and his home. And about his favorite student. When talking about this Bob, Turbo laughed sometimes, but always was saddened. He had caused the destruction of the sprite's system, the one he now defended. Turbo had hoped the young, energetic guardian had made it out, but he didn't have high hopes. Bob was very loyal. He probably tried to save the system as it went under. 

But Daemon knew Bob was fine and somewhere in the Net. 

She had sent teams of guardians out to find him. Her messenger. With Bob, she could reach those systems not yet connected by the word. He was the last of his kind and she wanted him. Daemon had sent Turbo as well to find him. They were friends, hopefully Turbo could persuade Bob to join the word by choice and not force. It was only after his return, she learned of another guardian. 

A cadet by the name of Enzo Matrix. 

Turbo still resisted the word and had warned the young cadet of her infection. But Daemon wasn't mad. When Turbo had been with her, she showed him more of the word and he talked with her. How the young cadet was a friend of Bob's and had survived game hopping with his girlfriend and their dog. They were now on their way to return home. Bob, she had learned was lost in the Web. They were going to find him. 

She marveled at these stories. Sprites, she found, were most interesting. They had interesting stories to tell, about their families and their lives. She knew none of that. She was created to bring peace across the Net. She had no family, just the familiar strain of viruses that were brought together as a "family". But the more she talked to her followers, she learned that was not how a family was. They loved and cared about you. 

She wanted to know more about this Bob and his friends.   


**War is never a happy time. The beginning of a war signals uncertainty in the outcome. Who will come out on top? Good? Or Evil? War can also bring forth the problems of those involved. What can be a new beginning in a new place can be the beginning of the end to childhood innocence. Welcome to chapter four, aptly entitled...**

**Arc 1 - Chapter 4 - Fight**

The fight for the Net began. 

In a small system called Mainframe, preparations for the arrival of Daemon were taking shape. The CPU units were all in place and each had a specific job to do in case the super virus ever came. The Principal Office was all abuzz, working on strengthening the shields and making sure the system could survive another war. The system's gamers, a group of sprites whose job was to get into the games and defeat them, also had their hands full with other jobs. 

Another arrival was taking place. 

Dot Matrix, the Command.Com, had offered the system's resources to those in need. And they came. Sprites and binomes of every shape and color came to the system for refuge. Accommodations had been made so they could stay for as long as they wanted and as long as they felt safe. It was certainly a sight for those in Mainframe. It had been so long since so many sprites had been in the city. Not since the Twin City disaster did so many sprites come to gather in the system. 

And with so many children. 

The Little Bits Elementary had a larger than normal enrollment for school. For some of the sprites and binomes that came, it was a scary experience. Some had already lost their parents or siblings to the infection and some were on their own for the first time. For some, they had never been out of their home systems before and to start a new school was intimidating. To live in a place that wasn't even their home because someone had literally kicked them out was a shock. 

For one small sprite, all the extra kids in the system was a User send. 

Enzo had forgotten what it was like to have friends his age. For Matrix, he had found AndrAIa right when he needed a friend more than ever. But now that he was an adult, he didn't have that problem any more. It had been passed down to his younger version. Enzo was now surrounded by kids his own age and up. He hadn't felt this excited since the seconds of the Twin City. School now seemed interesting. He would have tons of friends to talk to and hang out with. It would be like old times. 

Or so he thought. 

* * * 

"I am so bored right now." 

Bob sat on his couch in his living room. He had been in his apartment for half the morning, while new arrivals came in to the system. He understood his presence would spook some of the guests. After all, guardians weren't looked too highly upon right now. Bob sighed. He couldn't believe anything could have the power to turn the ideals of the Collective inside out. Like everyone else, he thought the Collective was invincible. _This must be some super virus,_ he reasoned. To take the Guardian Collective and turn it on its ear like this was amazing. But it didn't mean he had to be held up in his apartment. 

He was under house arrest. 

Dot had told him, not asked, but_ told _him to stay in his apartment until things got settled with the refuges. The last thing they needed was to think Bob was after them. So Bob went home, declined to have an energy shake with Matrix and AndrAIa, said no to Mouse's request of a friendly card game. He actually wanted to spend some time with Enzo, but the boy was so involved with talking to new kids, Bob didn't want to disturb that. 

Enzo needed that right now. 

And Bob needed Dot right now. 

Bob wasn't sure what had happened between them. He thought their kiss on the steps had signaled an end to their friendship and the beginning of a romance they had both wanted. Apparently it_ had _signaled the end of their friendship. The two were constantly in a battle now over what should be done. Dot wanted the guardians file locked and thrown in jail for their actions, maybe even worse. Bob couldn't stand that. After all, he was a Guardian. He wanted them saved and maybe even Daemon too. Dot thought he had flipped his motherboard. She didn't even want to hear his argument ~"Hex is okay. We saved her!" "She's still a virus, Bob."~ 

Dot won every argument. 

And speaking of Hexadecimal, she was on Bob like nulls on energy. Where ever he went, there she was, making love eyes at him. It made him extremely uncomfortable, not to mention very nervous. She was in his gratitude, which was fine, but to want to repay it was just wrong on sooo many levels. Especially when Bob knew _exactly _what she had in mind on payment. It made Bob want to cry. Why couldn't the two sprites that wanted his attention switch? Why couldn't Dot be all over him, wanting to spend time with him? Why couldn't Hex leave him alone? Before Bob could wonder about his seemingly bad luck with women, a vidwindow opened in front of him. 

"Why, Warden Matrix, what a pleasant surprise!" Bob mocked. "I was just sitting here wondering when my bread and water would be delivered." 

"Very funny, Bob." Dot replied. It had been a long morning, she really didn't need this. "I called cause I thought you could use some company." 

Bob raised an eyebrow. _This is new_, he thought. Could she have come to her senses and wanted to spend time with him? _Oh please, oh please, oh please..._"I'd love some company." he said, a smile coming to his face. 

"Great." She replied, returning the smile. "I'll send Hack and Slash over right away." 

"Oh." Bob tried to hide the disappointment in his voice, but he didn't succeed. "I thought that...I mean, I was kinda hoping..." 

"Bob, I got a lot of things left that I still have to do." 

"Yeah, I know, but..." 

"In fact, I have to go. I have to oversee a bunch of other stuff and..." 

"Then go." Bob said, sadly. "Wouldn't want to keep the Command.Com from her duties." 

"Bob, please don't be this way." 

"I can't help it, Dot." Bob replied, looking up at her. He had gotten good at hiding his feelings. The Web had taught him that emotions were weak and to never use them unless you were angered. "That's the way I am." He then closed the connection. 

* * * 

It had happened again. 

Enzo stood on the sidewalk, just down from the Diner. He held his side and made a grimace in pain. He had checked in the boy's bathroom to make sure he was okay. Luckily, the bruising was underneath his clothes and not anywhere visible. He had then made his way on his zipboard, keeping out of sight. This was third time he had been beaten up since school had started again. Enzo had thought school would've been wonderful now with all the new sprites and binomes in his class. He'd have friends his own age. 

But a certain binome with an afro had made sure Enzo wouldn't have that luxury. 

Before long, news that Mainframe had not one, but two guardians in their system had indeed spooked the refuges. Poor Mike the TV had gotten an earful from the sprites in the Principal Office, all assuming he had leaked the story. When the little set swore he didn't, they apologized. They didn't mean it of course and now poor Mike couldn't be allowed in the Diner anymore. All the news did was make some families leave. Others had no place to go, so they had to stay. That was fine and dandy for the adults, but for Enzo is was a total nightmare. 

First the teasing, then the beatings. It had started with pushing and shoving, but today, they had really beaten him up. His sides hurt, so did his shoulders and legs. Enzo had stopped to try and get some strength before going inside. If the others were in there and they felt something was wrong, he'd be in trouble. Real trouble. Those new kids could do some damage if any of them were punished. Besides, Enzo already felt like a baby anyway. 

He was a Matrix and he couldn't even defend himself. 

Knowing that he would be Matrix one second made him want to cry. He couldn't believe he would grow into that big muscular sprite. And Dot was a girl and she had beaten Bob up one time! If word got out that his siblings were stronger than anything, he'd be the laughing stock. No one talked to him, afraid if they said something, he would get the guardians on them. He was more alone than ever now. Enzo sniffed back some of the tears that fallen in the bathroom. He took a deep breath and headed towards the Diner. 

Just as he feared, he spotted three familiar sprites sitting in a booth. Gathering his strength, he stepped over Frisket, giving the dog a very painful scratch behind the ears, and walked into the Diner. Head down, Enzo tried to make it to the kitchen. Once he got there, he could go to his room and lay down. He could grab some ice, lock his door, and lay down and hope Dot wouldn't want to talk to him or something. 

He never even made it past the bar. 

"Hey Enzo, what's processing?" 

Enzo stopped in his tracks and turned to face the voice. Bob, Matrix, and AndrAIa sat together in one of the booths by the window. Bob and AndrAIa sat on one side, Matrix the other, his back to Enzo. The boy smiled at the two sprites who smiled at him. "Hey." he said, hoping this would be the end of it. 

"Hey yourself." AndrAIa giggled. "C'mere." 

The boy was about to protest, _say you have homework or something. They would never believe that_. He swallowed the fear he had and walked over. He tried his best to ignore the pain that was coursing through his body and hoped he did it convincingly to stop any concern the three might have. "How was school today?" AndrAIa had asked. Enzo just nodded. 

"Good." 

"It must be great having all those new kids here, huh?" Bob asked, clapping the boy on the shoulder. 

Enzo winced slightly, but recovered quickly. He hoped they hadn't noticed. "Yeah." he said, through gritted teeth. "Real alphanumeric. Listen, I gotta go and get started on my homework. You know how Dot is about that kind of thing." 

"I can imagine." Bob replied, rolling his eyes. 

"Maybe we can come over later." AndrAIa said, ignoring the look Matrix gave her. "That would be cool, huh?" 

That was the last thing he needed! "Yeah." he said. "Well, I'm gonna go. See ya." 

When he turned to go, Matrix was giving him a weird look. Not a hateful glare, but a "I know you're up to something" look. For a nano, Enzo was almost terrified that Matrix somehow knew what was going on, but he shook his head and let it go. With a nod to the big green sprite, the little one headed towards the kitchen. Once through the kitchen door, Enzo relaxed. So far so good. Cecil was out in the main hall, so things would be safe until Dot came home. Opening one of the refrigeration units, he grabbed a large bag of ice and headed to the little apartment downstairs. 

* * * 

Matrix watched as the little boy walked downstairs to his apartment, what used to be_ his _apartment. The renegade still resented the little boy that now shared his name. It was still very odd seeing himself walking around the city. But now, as he had sat there and watched Enzo flinch when Bob touched his shoulder, Matrix knew something was wrong. He didn't even know how he knew, but he just did. 

Enzo was hiding something. 

Despite all his feelings towards the small sprite, something just wasn't right. And by the way Andri and Bob were carrying on, they didn't seem to notice, so why him? Matrix pondered this._ If anyone were to know what was wrong, it would me_, he thought. He immediately put the thought out of his head. Why in the Net would he want to help that weak, little sprite? The same weak, little sprite that trapped AndrAIa back in a place she had just escaped from. The same little runt who let down all of Mainframe at the worst time. 

"Enzo?" 

Matrix's head popped up to see Bob and AndrAIa staring at him. The two had been talking and then had started to talk to him, only to be ignored for a whole microsecond. "Wha?" the renegade asked. 

"Are you okay?" Bob asked. "You seemed to offline for a bit." 

"Yeah, I was just thinking." he murmured quickly. He looked to his girlfriend and said, "And don't call me that." The large sprite got up, mumbling something about checking up on something and left the Diner, leaving Bob and AndrAIa looking as he left. 

"Okay." AndrAIa said, turning back to her energy shake. "He's in one of_ those _moods. I tend to ignore him when that happens. He's so stubborn." 

"Reminds me of another Matrix we know." Bob replied, sadly. 

"Gee, I'm sorry, Bob." AndrAIa replied with sympathy. "I take it things aren't going as planned?" Bob gave the game sprite a look. "Things aren't going as planned." she gathered. 

"Things rarely do in_ this _system." Bob joked. 

"Don't say that." AndrAIa chastised, hitting the guardian in the arm. "Sometimes things get weird, but then they work themselves out. You know that." The game sprite hopped over the back of the bench, saying, "Have faith, big brother type guy. Dot loves you like crazy. Things are just hectic right now." With a final pat on the arm, she left in search of Matrix. 

* * * 

The middle aged sprite prepared a supper for her small family. Her two daughters would be coming home from school any nano and she wanted to make sure they were inside together. Who knew what lay in this system? Already she had heard it had not one, but two guardians in it. "Mending and defending" she was told, but they were guardians. If they weren't infected, they were just fooling the rest of the system. And if indeed they were clean, they wouldn't be for long. 

A system is a system and Daemon had proved even the mightiest had fallen. 

Her husband had tried to take a stand, but even he fell. The guardian in their system was his best friend and for him to be betrayed like that was horrible. What kind of vicious monster would turn the good guardians against the systems they were protecting? She couldn't understand. She just couldn't. And now she was in a new system, a new home, and raising two little girls by herself. She knew little girls who didn't have a mother or a father to come home to and it made her sick. Just sick with grief. 

User help them all. 

* * * 

Mouse sat back in her chair and looked out at the system she was now in. Mainframe and its citizens had suddenly taken on new meaning for her during the war. She never let anything, any place, or anyone get close to her before, but now it seemed things were different. 

The hacker had found loyal friends among those presumed to be enemies. She and Bob went way back, when Mouse had strived to be a guardian herself one second. That idea obviously wasn't realized, but she still had her alliance with Bob. The guardian had been the one bright spot during her seconds in the Super Computer. But when she came to Mainframe as a hired gun for Megabyte, she had no idea she'd be staying. 

She had come back by the request of Turbo. Word in the SC said a web creature had been identified and the guardians had followed it to a small system in the Net. Mainframe. Bob's system. Turbo had wanted to just investigate, send word if the web creature was indeed in the system. He had given her a watch in order to communicate with him. So, the hacker went back to Mainframe, back to the place she had left a very cute guardian in. 

But Mouse soon found out she had competition. 

Now the hacker would be the first to admit, finding out that there was someone else out for her blue boy certainly did make the game interesting. But the Mouse could see this wasn't a game of romance for the two love struck sprites she was playing the game with. She could remember how much fun Dot Matrix had been when she made the passes at Bob, but something changed. Once Dot had saved her life, the game got personal. Then the game was upped when that web creature had kidnapped Dot. 

For the first time in her life, Mouse was looking out for someone other than herself. 

So, she had saved the future Command.Com of the system. They were now even. So she could've left, right? Sure, but then that baddie had to go and open the system up to the Web. And that's when the bits hit the cooling fan. Just when things seemed to be okay, she was doubled crossed _again _by that low down son of a null Megabyte. But it wasn't just her, it was the whole system that took the fall. Even if it was a dumb and basic idea on Bob's part, the guardian didn't need to be sent to the Web. 

Everything fell apart after that. 

Mouse could see her game was over. She knew Dot had a crush on Bob, but it wasn't until after he was in the Web did the hacker see that the crush was much, much more. Mouse knew how Bob felt, but only after he was gone could she see that Dot had felt the same way. Dot and everyone had proven their loyalty to her, so the hacker came back with fighting for the system. It was hard times during Megaframe. They thought they had a chance when Enzo got his confidence back. Mouse smirked at the memory. Only AndrAIa had faith that Enzo would come out all right. 

That kid was a pistol. Still was. 

Mouse could see those two really had the gumption for each other. At first, she figured it was because both had been alone for so long, needing a friend, it just seemed natural for them to hit it off so easily. But after spending so much time in the P.O. with the little tikes, Mouse knew there was something more to them being best friends. Enzo was taking a big risk being a guardian. He was just a little boy, after all, and already he was in the middle of a war where he held the system in the palm of his hand. 

No one was prepared for what happened. 

They all knew it was a risk. It was a big risk letting Enzo into the games, with just AndrAIa and Frisket as his back up. Glitch wasn't functioning properly and every game was a threat. But the little guy couldn't help it. His guardian programming told him to be in those games, to save the system sector from nullification. No one knew he would entering his last game as a child in Mainframe. That silence after the voice announced the end of the game and the end of Enzo, AndrAIa, and Frisket was deafening. Dot didn't deserve that, not after what she had been through already. 

But everything worked out, amazingly so. If there was ever a system with a lucky streak, it was Mainframe. But now, as Mouse sat looking out of Ship, she knew the real test for them was now. They had never taken on a super virus before and certainly not one who had the entire Guardian Collective under her spell. Having Bob and Matrix in the system could prove dangerous, to not only the guardians themselves, but the entire system. The group already had a talk with Mike the TV, who swore up and down the Energy Sea that he didn't know how the story came out about the two uninfected guardians. 

Mouse smelled a rat. 

This was definitely an inside job, but by who? They couldn't take this, not with everything going on. On top of fighting Daemon and the infected Guardians, they had their own inner problems. That didn't help situations any. Despite the fact the two were crazy about each other, Bob and Dot didn't spend any time together. If they were trying to put up a front that they were just too busy, the Mouse saw through it. They weren't busy. They were avoiding each other. 

And then the problem with the Matrix siblings themselves grew increasingly obnoxious. Dot and Matrix only talked in arguments and lately Mouse had noticed Enzo had clammed up, much like his older 'brother'. Like everyone, the hacker thought with all the new little sprites in the system, Enzo would have the time of his life, but instead the little boy kept closer with his adult friends and would only play with Frisket. It seemed the only people trying to keep clear heads were her, AndrAIa, and the surfer. 

What a hottie! 

Mouse couldn't believe there was someone who could match her in every aspect of her life. That Ray Tracer was certainly a charming rogue and with the prettiest eyes, too. Mouse had been honored to have Ray show her his eyes. The goggles helped him see, even when he wasn't in the Web. He was almost blind without them. But Mouse didn't care. Tracer had found his way into a part of her heart, something Mouse wasn't used to at all. If not careful, the hacker could fall for the suave surfer at a nano's time. Mouse shook her head. Now wasn't the time to be thinking about Ray. 

It was time to get ready for another war. 

* * * 

Enzo lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling. It was time for school. True, the boy had really never liked school and tried to stay home when he could, but this was a matter of life and death. If he went back to school, he was going to be beaten up. He now had bruises on his arms from his beating last cycle. 

He had to figure out a way to stay home. 

"Enzo!" 

That had been the third time Dot had called him to get up, every time it got louder and louder, as though the next one would be right in his ear. He had to think of something. He had tried the thermometer the cycle before last and had been caught, he certainly couldn't show Dot his bruises. That would land him in more trouble than it was worth. Enzo had to think of something. 

"ENZO, GET UP!!" 

That now made four times Dot had to call Enzo from upstairs. The first three had been made from the upstairs Diner, from the stairwell leading to the apartment, and finally from the front entrance itself. If the boy didn't get up now, he was going to be late. Dot sighed as she headed back her regular booth. AndrAIa and a reluctant Matrix sat across from her having the second's breakfast special. 

"I swear, if he doesn't get up now, he's going to be late and that's really all I need today." Dot hissed, trying to get back to her work. 

"He'll be up." AndrAIa said, cheerfully. "You know it can take forever to get Enzo up." She then winked at her boyfriend, who had a characteristic scowl on his face. 

Finally, the small boy made his way upstairs to the Diner, still dressed in his pajamas. Going over to the bar, he grabbed an energy bar from the basket on top, trying to appear nonchalant at his appearance. "Enzo, why aren't you getting ready for school?" Dot asked, exasperated her brother wasn't even bothering to get ready. Enzo looked quickly at his sister and the two sprites that sat with her. Thinking, he grabbed his head with both hands and screamed. 

"The pain! The horrible pain!" he exclaimed, bumbling over to the booth. "It feels like hammers pounding inside my head! My processor's going to explode, I know it! I think I'm going numb." With that, the boy's eyes rolled back and he fell to the ground. 

The customers in the place looked at the boy, but then went back to their meals. The same thing happened every second. Meanwhile, at the booth where the boy had fallen, the three sprites also looked at the boy. Their expressions were concern, pity, and annoyance. "You don't look so good, 'little brother'." Matrix replied, squeezing out the 'little brother' with as much contempt he had in his voice. 

"I know." the boy said from the floor. "I think I'm having an aneurysm." 

"He does look a little pale, Dot." Matrix agreed. He was going to find out what was wrong one way or another. "Why don't I look after him today? Give you some time to get some stuff done." 

The women sitting in the booth were slightly taken aback by this. It was no secret Matrix didn't want anything to do with his younger version, so to have the renegade volunteer to watch the small sprite was surprising to say the least. Enzo was also surprised by this, but not in the happy sense the girls seemed to take it as. The boy too felt something was not right with this arrangement. Getting up quickly and dusting himself off, Enzo replied, "No, I think I'm okay. Thanks though." 

Dot looked at her younger...no, baby...brother. "I thought you were having an aneurysm." she said suspiciously. 

"No, uh..." Enzo stuttered. "I seem to be fine now. I guess I just needed to lay down." Laughing nervously, he said, "I better get ready for school." The boy quickly left and went downstairs. 

"Well, looks like danger has been averted." AndrAIa giggled. 

Both older Matrix siblings nodded slightly, their eyes following their brother until he entered the kitchen. As Dot shook off the oddness of today's excursion from school display, Matrix knew something was definitely going on. He was determined to find out what, if only to get the little runt the same disgrace he was feeling. 

So the evasion of school continued for the next couple of cycles and they never seemed to keep Enzo at home. He was still beaten up after school. Frisket had luckily saved him once or twice, but with two masters that were the same, it was hard for the feral dog to be with both masters at the same time. The oddest thing that happened though was when Enzo had received a black eye one second. He had arrived from school to the Principal Office and had luckily missed both Bob and Dot, not that it was hard to. 

Not wanting to see Phong, Enzo could only think of one place he could go and not get caught. Rounding the corner, he headed straight for the temporary quarters of Matrix and AndrAIa. He hoped they'd be home, mostly AndrAIa. He didn't know what would happen if just Matrix was there. He wasn't adjusting to this well, either. He thought having an older brother would be terrific, just to find his older self couldn't stand to be near him. Matrix hated him, he knew that now. This would only get him in trouble if he were there. Covering his left eye with his hand and taking a breath, he knocked on the door. 

When the door opened, a feeling of terror gripped the boy. His worst nightmare was standing there and Matrix certainly wasn't happy to see the boy. The two just stood there, no words passing between them, just hostile feelings from Matrix and frightened ones from Enzo. "What do_ you _want?" Matrix asked, staring down at the boy. Enzo gulped and he was about to step back and turn around, when AndrAIa popped up. 

"Hey little Sparky." she said, cheerfully, shoving Matrix aside and opening the door for the boy. "Come on in." Enzo relaxed and walked in, smiling to himself. "Don't mind Matrix," AndrAIa continued, shutting the door, and taking Matrix by the hand. She led them both to the bed and sat down. Enzo stood in front of them, his hand still covering his eye. "What's wrong with your eye?" 

"My eye?" Enzo asked, trying to act surprised. "Something wrong?" 

"Yes." the game sprite giggled. "You're covering your eye with your hand, so I was wondering if anything was wrong." 

"Covering up something?" he asked, inadvertently slipping up. AndrAIa hadn't really gotten it, but Matrix did. 

"What happened to your eye, Kid?" the renegade asked, narrowing his eyes. 

Enzo looked at Matrix and knew there was no way he could bluff his way out with his eye covered. He glanced at AndrAIa, whose face showed concern, more than he could say about his 'brother'. Looking down at the floor, he removed his hand. AndrAIa gasped and Matrix shook his head. It wasn't too bad, well at least it wasn't when Enzo had left school, but now his left eye was black and purple and very puffy. 

"Enzo!" AndrAIa gasped, taking the boy's chin in her hand. "How did you get that black eye?" 

"Well..." he started, trying to think of the story he had rehearsed as he came down the hall. "We were playing baseball after school, right, and I was playing in the outfield. One of the new guys hit this super high fly ball and it came straight for me, but... well, I guess I wasn't looking and it hit me in the eye." 

"Wow." the game sprite said, examining the eye carefully. "I'm gonna go get an ice pack. Don't touch it, you'll make it worse." She blew out a breath before standing and leaving the room. 

Enzo wished he had gone with her. 

"Interesting story." Matrix commented. "Did you make that up in the hall as you were coming here?" 

"It's a true story." Enzo muttered, looking away. 

"Sure it is." Matrix nodded, chuckling a little. "No, really. How did you get that black eye?" 

"Why do you care?" Enzo cried. 

Matrix folded his arms across his chest. "I don't." he said. "But I can tell you there's no way Dot's going to believe a story like that. You'll have to come up with something better, my_ little _friend." 

"We are_ not _friends." 

"No. And we never will be." 

The two were locked in an icy stare until Enzo turned away, feeling tears about to spurt out his eyes. Matrix couldn't possibly understand, not that he cared anyway. Enzo was regretting coming in the first place. He wished AndrAIa had been here instead, but even a minute and half after the restart, the boy should've realized AndrAIa rarely went anywhere without Matrix and vice versa. Enzo held his head down, ashamed he couldn't even defend himself. 

Matrix looked at the boy and suddenly felt a pang of guilt hit his insides. It wasn't hard for him to figure out Enzo had been beaten up. That would probably explain his recent behavior. Matrix himself would normally clam up if something was bothering him, not wanting anyone to know what was wrong. The big sprite blew out a breath. "What really happened to your eye, Enzo?" he asked, a bit more sympathetic towards the boy's plight. 

Enzo was reluctant to tell the renegade anything, but after weighing his options, he decided to come clean. "I was in a fight." he whispered. "Another fight to be exact." The boy sighed and tried to keep a hold on his emotions. "They're just bigger than me and...and they jump me after school...I just..." 

"Enzo, you can't let those guys get the best of you." Matrix said. "You gotta walk away or at least fight back." 

"I can't!" the boy cried, sniffing as he did. "I mean, I try, but they're much bigger and...and..." 

"Come on, Enzo." Matrix spat. "Being a weak little sprite is how I got the way I am now." 

"I'm not you!" Enzo shouted, turning his anger on the large sprite. "I mean...I guess I am, but...I don't have a big gun or a babe for a girlfriend..." 

"Hey!" 

"You wouldn't understand." Enzo said, shaking his head. "You couldn't possibly understand." 

Matrix laughed. "I don't see anyone else who could understand any better than me." he chuckled. "And if you find him, give me a ring. Better yet, send me an email. We'll keep our contact strictly formal." 

Just as Enzo was going to say something very unkindly, a small feat for the boy, AndrAIa returned with an ice pack and an energy shake she managed to order from the Diner. Right away, she noticed the boys didn't seem to be in a good mood. The game sprite mentally kicked herself for the leaving the two by themselves for the long period. "Here ya go, Enzo." she replied, handing the boy the shake. She then sat down on the bed and put the ice pack on his eye. Enzo flinched. "I know it's cold." she said, instantly recognizing the mannerism. "But in order to keep the swelling down, you need to keep it on your eye." Enzo obeyed, keeping the pack on his eye, while sipping the shake. 

Later in the evening, the three went to see a Quicktime mov. in order to put Enzo in a happier mood. The little boy sat between the renegade and his girlfriend and felt comfortable enough to lean against AndrAIa and fall asleep. When Matrix noticed, the rest of his movie experience was to complain that Enzo was_ way _to comfortable, never mind the fact he was asleep. But the renegade must have had a change of heart because when the movie ended and the patrons stood up to leave, Matrix lifted the little sprite with one arm and carried him back home. AndrAIa said nothing, but continued to smile at the renegade all the way home. 

The next morning was the cycle's end. Thankfully for Enzo, he could at least heal before his next beating. He got up and went to the bathroom to check on his eye. AndrAIa had been right. The swelling had gone down, but he still had the black and blue circle around his eye. He sighed and started to wash up. He was hoping to spend some time with Bob. He hadn't seen the blue guardian in quite awhile. He would never understand adults. Everyone knew Bob and Dot loved each other and were the perfect couple, well...everyone except Bob and Dot. Enzo knew if he just spent some time with Bob, his cycle would have some happiness in it. 

Enzo ran upstairs to the Diner and wasn't surprised when he saw Dot seated in her favorite booth, vidwindows surrounding her. Enzo shook his head, a funny grin coming across his lips. He walked over and poked his sister in the side, causing her to jump. Dot looked sternly at her brother, who was smiling happily at her. Dot couldn't help but laugh as she ruffed his already messed hair. "Morning to you too, little brother." she said, closing a couple of vidwindows and facing him. She lifted his chin and examined his eye. "Looks like your eye's a little better. I hope you're not mad at Matrix." 

"Why would I be mad at Matrix?" he asked, suspiciously, sliding across from her. Truth was, he was a little steamed at the green giant, but he wasn't sure why Dot would think he would be. 

"For what happened yesterday." she said. "In Floating Point, with the ball." 

Enzo looked at her in confusion. "What are you talking about?" he asked. 

"Matrix said you two were playing with Frisket in Floating Point yesterday and when he threw the ball, it hit you in the eye." Dot replied, looking at her brother. 

Enzo's mouth literally dropped open. He couldn't believe it. Matrix had made up an even bigger lie in order to cover for him. He hadn't told Dot anything about what really happened. Instead, the big sprite had made up his own story, with him causing Enzo's black eye, making Dot believe a simple game of fetch had caused it. Enzo almost laughed. Matrix was one funny guy. Strange, but a lifesaver no less. 

"Enzo." Dot said, for the fifth time in a span of a microsecond. The boy looked over at her. "You did go to Floating Point with Matrix yesterday, right?" she asked, eyeing the boy with curiosity. 

"Yeah." Enzo said, nodding vigorously. "That's what happened all right. I guess I didn't see the ball coming. I'm not mad at him or anything."_ More like the other way around_, he thought. 

Dot merely nodded, a growing desire to ask Matrix about what had happened again. Pushing those aside, she asked, "So what's up for you today?" 

"I was kinda hoping to see Bob later." he responded enthusiastically. Dot mouthed an "oh", downcasting her eyes to the table. Catching this, Enzo grimaced. "I'm sorry, Dot." he said. "I know you and Bob don't like each other now." 

"It's not that, Enzo." the young sprite sighed. "We just...look, it's really complicated. You'd probably understand it if you were older." 

"Everyone says that." the boy muttered, suddenly becoming very angry and annoyed at his current situation. He narrowed his eyes and whispered, "I wish I was older. And bigger." Realizing his sister sat only a few inches from him, his smile returned and he bounced out of the booth. "I gotta take a shower. Let me know if Bob comes by or something, kay?" With that, he made a hasty exit. 

* * * 

The Super Computer seemed quiet, but lots were going on. Trying to find the location of Mainframe was turning out to be harder than Daemon figured. She couldn't understand why those in the system continued to reject her and the Word. She now sat in her throne, all alone in the room she was in. She wondered if it was possible to make one of them hear the Word, then maybe the others would follow. Turbo had told her a lot about the guardian Bob and his cadet, but the former Prime Guardian was unsure of Mainframe's address. Every time they tried the one he knew, they were blocked and often their own consoles failed as soon as they lost the connection. 

These sprites were incredible. 

Daemon had never known a system to fight back the way this one was. She was interested to know who these sprites were that protected the system so well. She was truly impressed by their resilience, but they would fall like the others. She needed the last two guardians in order to complete her function. But as long as she was waiting, she wanted to know more about these sprites. She left the throne, her processor thinking of a way to get someone knowledgeable about the system and those who lived in it. 

* * * 

Bob wasn't feeling well. 

Presently he sat in Phong's office, in the chair facing the wise sprite's desk. The guardian knew what the problem was. It was actually a combination of problems, the major one having been put off for the longest time. His Glitch powers were not working well and that could spell trouble for the blue guardian. Bob knew Glitch wasn't functioning when they had merged, but at the time, Bob wasn't thinking about the consequences of the action. 

And on top of that, this thing between him and Dot didn't make him feel any better either. He loved her, loved her more than life itself and to know he couldn't be with her tore him up inside. He wasn't even sure if she felt the same way. She had to, she just had to. Somewhere, some how, Dot must love him as much as he did her. Maybe. Bob's attention was caught when Phong rolled back into the room and sat down at his desk. 

"Now Bob, what seems to be the problem?" the sagely sprite asked. 

"Depends on which problem you want to hear, Phong." he joked. 

"You said over the vidwindow that you were not feeling well." 

"That's true." Bob said, leaning back in his chair. "I think I know what the problem is though." 

"Oh?" Phong asked, clearly surprised. "And your synopsis of the problem is what, my son?" 

"I don't think Glitch is functioning very well inside me." Bob replied. "I mean, he wasn't working properly anyway when we merged." 

"You do realize, Bob, this could have serious complications." Phong said, plainly. 

Bob only nodded. 

"Defragmentation comes to mind." 

The guardian swallowed hard. He had had that same thought and to have it voiced by someone else scared him a bit. "I know." he said, clearing his throat uneasily. 

Phong looked at Bob with a knowing look. "This is not all you wanted to discuss with me, is it, Guardian?" he asked. 

Bob chuckled. "You know me too well, old friend." he said. Sighing, he said, "It's about Dot." 

"It is no surprise you have come to me, my son." Phong replied, steepling his small fingers together. "You seem to be topic for discussion these seconds." 

"Aren't I popular?" Bob said, dryly. "Let me guess. I happen to be in an equation to all of this." 

Phong just nodded. 

"And I have a pretty good guess the others involved all have the last name of Matrix." 

"You are very good at this game." Phong joked. 

Bob shook his head. "What do I have to do, Phong?" he asked. "What do I do or say to make Dot love me? I love her so much. So much it hurts sometimes and I just can't understand why she can't see that." 

"The ways of sprites has long escaped me, Guardian." Phong said. "I do know you are on Dot's processor as of late, but you are not the only person she has to deal with." 

"Matrix and Enzo." Bob replied, knowingly. "That's why I'm staying out her way, Phong. I know she's got a lot on her mind. Me, her brothers, the situation with Daemon...Phong, I've been thinking about that. It's me she wants, I know that. If I'm not in the system, maybe...maybe she won't do anything to Mainframe. She wants me and Matrix and I know he's wanted to leave for some time now." 

"You also know of young Matrix's decision to leave?" 

"Matrix and I may not talk a lot these seconds, but I definitely know he's having a hard enough time being back." Bob was silent, looking down at his hands. They weren't scarred like the rest of him, but the color was off. "I've been thinking of leaving myself." he whispered. He looked up at his mentor, his friend. 

"It's my job to mend and defend, Phong, and if that means I have to be out of the system to do it, then I will." 

* * * 

Daemon stood looking at a vidwindow that displayed those systems who had heard the Word. There were still plenty out there that hadn't and there would be no way to get to them if she didn't have Bob. Bob and Matrix were now the only two guardians that were in possession of a keytool. With the guardians infected and under her control, the keytools refused to work with their partners, leaving Daemon and her infection in the Super Computer. 

But she had finally had an idea in order to get the rest of the Net. 

* * * 

Enzo held his sides as his zipboard came to rest in front of the Diner. He felt awful and he was having a hard time breathing. It had been a cruel thing of luck he had run into his tormentors as he left the Data Slides. The small boy had heard the heralding of a game and wanted to make it in, but had been caught off guard by the approaching five sprites. They had cornered him in an alley and delivered the worst beating Enzo had ever had. It felt like they worked him over for at least a millisecond. Enzo lay in the alley, his nose bleeding and energy coming from his lip. Thankfully the bleeding stop, but he had a lot of pain in his side and chest. He had barely been able to control his zipboard in order to get to the Diner. He felt very lightheaded and his breathing was becoming shallow. 

He needed some help. 

Inside the Diner, Matrix, Mouse, AndrAIa, and Bob sat in a booth near the large window. The trio had to practically drag the older guardian into the Diner, Mouse refusing to listen to his protests. Luckily for both guardians, Dot was doing her duty as Mainframe's Command.Com, that she rarely had time to actually run the Diner she loved so much. The four had just come from the game cube that had lifted and the customary energy shake at Al's had been squashed in order to go to Dot's. It was the trio's way of getting the two leaders of the system to talk to each. 

Mouse and AndrAIa decided they would work on Dot and Matrix later. If things went well between Bob and Dot, it stood to reason, Matrix and Dot would end up talking to each other. 

Mouse was now in the process of telling the two game hopping sprites an embarrassing story about Bob in the Super Computer. Matrix looked out and noticed Enzo standing out front, not making any moves to come inside. A red flag immediately went up in the renegade's head. By now the little sprite would've noticed Bob and come barging in with a tackle. The boy hadn't even pet Frisket, who was sitting in front of him looking at him strangely. Matrix moved out of the booth and stood up, still glaring out the window. 

"My story wasn't that bad, Matrix." Mouse drawled, laughing at the look Bob gave her. 

"Enzo's outside." he said, gesturing out the window at the little sprite. Without another word, Matrix left the booth and ventured outside. Upon seeing the child up close, Matrix was immediately alarmed. He had his eyes closed and he seemed to struggle for a breath. "Hey." he said. 

"Hey." Enzo muttered weakly. 

"You okay, Kid?" 

Enzo only shook his head before he fell forward, Matrix making the catch before he hit the ground. 

* * * 

Enzo was going to get it. 

Actually, he was already getting it, from the look and words Dot was saying. The boy sat up in his hospital bed, dressed in a pair of pajamas he had gotten from a nurse. A little strip of bandage was over his nose and he had a gaze wrapped under his pajama top. He gave a quick glance to Matrix, who sat in chair by his bedside. 

"Enzo, why didn't you tell anyone?" Dot asked. 

Enzo tried to take a deep breath, only to wince in pain. His doctor said he had only minor damage, considering the state he was in when he was brought to the Medical Unit in the Principal Office. The boy sustained bruised ribs, but one looked to be fractured, if not broken. His nose was broken and he had a lot of bruises on his arms and back. The only minor thing was his split lip. Enzo started to reply to his sister's question, but couldn't. He didn't really have to. 

"Wait." Dot said, her anger turning to Matrix. "I have a feeling you did." 

The renegade moved uncomfortably under the gaze of his sister. Enzo looked like he was going to cry. Why did those guys have to put him in the hospital? Dot had already asked for names, but Enzo didn't offer any. Why put himself through more pain than he already felt? Dot was planning on deleting him, he knew it and from the look he got from Matrix, she would have to wait in line. The young commander sighed. "Fine." she huffed, turning to go. "I'll find out myself, Enzo." With that, she was gone. 

"We've both done it now." Matrix muttered. "Why didn't you tell her, Enzo? Why didn't you just tell her the names of the guys who did this?" 

"And get sent to the morgue next time?" Enzo asked bitterly. "I don't think so." 

Matrix blew out a breath. "You're really stubborn, you know that?" 

"Runs in the family." 

The large sprite shook his head. He stood up and left the room. Enzo sat fuming in his bed. He was so mad right now, tears dropping from his eyes carelessly. He couldn't believe he had let himself get beaten up and put into the hospital. He was such a baby and now everyone knew it. Especially Matrix. The renegade probably hated the boy more now than ever before. Why shouldn't he? All Enzo was was a basic little baby. He couldn't take this. He didn't want this to happen again, but how could he change it? The only way would be to get as big and strong as Matrix was. 

Matrix...the very name made Enzo mad. If it wasn't for him and Bob, this wouldn't be happening. No. If this Daemon person wasn't wrecking havoc in the Net, Enzo wouldn't be in that bed. This was her fault. If she hadn't taken over the guardians...stupid guardians. How do you just let a super virus take over your home? Enzo admitted Megabyte had taken his home, but they had fought back. Gotten rid of him. Why couldn't the guardians do the same thing? Why were they letting Daemon get away with this? 

For the first time in his young life, Enzo didn't want to be a guardian.   


**The saying goes, "All is fair in love and war." but is it? For those couples who face a war, their hearts can only be worried with what will come. Will they ever see their loved one again? For those trying to combat the super virus Daemon, love proved to be stronger than the virus herself. But can it continue? Welcome to chapter five.******

**Disclaimer: "Falls Apart" and "Even Though" are copyright to Sugar Ray, from their album, 14:59. Lyrics will be italicized.**

  


**Arc 1 - Chapter 5 - Love & War**

Dot sat in her office, her head buried in her arms. It had been rough the last couple of minutes. With the word that Bob and Matrix existed in the system, she had complaints about everything. Being the Command.Com brought her more grief than anything she could imagine. The refuges thought she wasn't an effective leader if she were to let two guardians, nevermind if they were infected or not, run around the system. The newcomers were outraged. 

_She falls apart, by herself_   
_No one's there to talk or understand_

She started crying. In the privacy of her office, crying had become a terrible habit for her. She was under so much stress and that didn't even begin to scratch the surface. On top of her troubles with the city's residents, she had her own problems with those she worked with. She didn't even want to think about it. Her younger brother had been beaten up so severely he was in the M.U. for three cycles. It brought back the memory of when he had first been in there, after the death of their parents. He had come so close to deletion and now...she shook her head. She shouldn't be in here. She couldn't feel sorry for herself right now. 

She had to be the leader of the system. 

_Feels sustained, dries her eyes_   
_Finds herself, opens the door inside_

Wiping her eyes quickly, she took a deep breath. She couldn't appear rattled in front of everyone. If she came apart, then everyone would come apart. They could get through this, couldn't they? Yes, of course they could. She hoped. She stood up, fixing her outfit, and mentally checked herself. Everyone was waiting for her by now. She had been in here for too long already. Standing by the door, she took another breath before opening it and walking out. 

_People can see right through you_   
_Everyone who knew you well_

She stopped to scan the faces that greeted her. One look towards Mouse told her the hacker didn't believe she was as composed as she thought. Mouse was always doing that, seeing through her wall. Maybe everyone could. She knew Bob could. She glanced at the blue guardian, who gave her a sad smile. Things between them hadn't gotten any better, it probably never would. She loved him, she really did, but she was ashamed to admit she was frightened of him, too. He wasn't the same Bob she remembered. Even looking at him made her think of everything they had gone through, everything they were going through now. 

She felt the same about Matrix, too. Her own brother and the two hadn't really spoken since he had come back. Well, their speech was in arguments, like the one they had gotten into after Enzo was put in the medical unit. The fact Matrix had known about Enzo's bullying and hadn't said anything to her, had even covered up a beating for him, hurt more than anything. Now Enzo didn't seem the same to her anymore. He was brooding lately, almost like Matrix. 

In a span of a few minutes, a few cycles probably after the restart, everything was falling apart in front of her. 

_Falls apart, might as well_   
_Day is long and nothing is wasted._

"What've we got?" she asked, taking on her roll as leader. Walking past Mouse and ignoring the look she was given, Dot came up to the front console to view the readings. Phong stood next to her, also looking. 

"It appears we have more trouble than we realize." the wise sprite replied, glancing at the young woman. 

Dot sighed. How true he was about that. She scanned the room again. She knew someone was missing. Looking again, she knew it was Matrix. Figured. Shaking her head, she went deep into thought again. This Daemon was new territory to her. With Megabyte and Hex, she knew how they operated. She had control and could call the shots. That worked out well. But this... she had no idea how to handle this. "What kind of trouble are we looking at?" she asked, her voice far off somewhere else. 

"Besides a super virus who has the entire Guardian Collective under her spell?" Bob asked, a familiar smile on his face. The smile disappeared though when Dot turned to him. Solemnly, he said, "We have everything to lose here, Dot." 

"I know." she whispered, her eyes scanning his face. It was one she didn't recognize, but somehow felt a bit familiar with. Clearing her throat, she got back to business. "Mouse, any word from Ray?" 

"Not as of late, Suge." Mouse said, disappointment clearly shone in her voice. 

"I bet he's fine, Mouse." AndrAIa piped up. "Knowing Ray, he's probably found something exciting to try out." 

"That's my Ray." Mouse laughed. "Always lookin' for trouble with a capitol T." 

"Specky, do you have any readings?" Dot asked, looking at a small one binome with glasses. 

"No Sir, ma'am." he replied. "I do think things are a little calmer than as of late though. Even the games have been coming less." 

"That's what I'm afraid of." Dot murmured. "It's way too quiet. Something's up." 

* * * 

Mike the TV stood outside in Floating Point Park, getting ready to do an overview of things happening in Mainframe. His camera crew was setting up, as Mike looked at himself in a small mirror. He was looking wonderful, as always. Putting the mirror away, he looked around the park. It was pretty nice out and families were out and about. Right about now, Mike would be in the Diner, entertaining and then being thrown out by whoever was inside. The little set sighed. 

He missed those seconds. 

Ever since word got out about Bob and Matrix, the little TV had been accused of leaking the story. But he hadn't. He really hadn't. He never would've said anything about that, especially when a super virus was looking for them. Why doom him and his TV career? He would report, however, the news of Daemon. That, the people had a right to know. That was headline news right there. His crew was all set up and were waiting for him to give the cue to roll film. Before Mike ever got the chance, a tear opened up overhead, a massive swarm of CPU cars flooded out. 

"Man, what perfect timing!" the little set whispered, barely containing his excitement. Turning to his crew, he gave the cue to roll. "This is Mike TV at the scene of an incredible occurrence. As we stood in Floating Point Park, a tear opened and a number of unidentified flying guardians came from it. This reporter has deemed them...UFGs. What does this spell for Mainframe and the two guardians that have yet to be in Daemon's grasp? Hopefully, I will have an exclusive with one of those guardians." 

Mike watched as panicked sprites and binomes all rushed from the park, trying to hide before the guardians came for them. Overhead, Mike could see the familiar outlines of three sprites. Two on motorbikes and one flying. The cavalry was here. Mike watched from below as Matrix, Bob, and AndrAIa tried to combat the onslaught of guardians. Gesturing to his crew, the small set started to run towards Bob, who sat on a nearby bench. Mike could tell the guardian did not look well. Not well at all. If he didn't know better, he thought the blue guy flickered for a moment. 

Before Mike could start asking his questions, he was interrupted by Hexadecimal._ Perfect! _he thought to himself. _Absolutely perfect! _What better way of starting a brand new show and season, then with an interview from Bob _and _Hex. He would get that PB award after all. Mike turned to see where his camera crew was when something blurred his vision. He then felt himself being transported out of Mainframe. Before he knew it, he was in a large room, with a big pendulum like clock as a face in front of him. Mike hadn't been many places, but he knew where he was. 

The Super Computer. 

Daemon's lair. 

Mike took a couple of calming breaths. This couldn't be good for him. His ratings, yes. They would be through the roof! If only his camera crew had been with him. They were always so gosh darned slow! He would look into replacing them when... he gulped, upon seeing the small figure approaching him. ..._If, _rather, he'd be seeing Mainframe again. The figure was a young girl, pink, blue eyes, very cute actually. Mike gulped. This was Daemon. _This was Daemon?! _She was kinda small for a super virus. He thought she would be much much bigger, meaner in fact. But she was...little. Tiny and cute. No way this was the dreaded Daemon he had heard about. 

Of course, when she infected him, he became a believer right quick. 

And he set out to tell Daemon about Bob and everyone in the system of Mainframe. 

* * * 

It was late out in Mainframe. The battle that had happened a few seconds ago still seemed fresh to those involved. After checking to make sure people were all right, Dot had given the word that the system was under lock down. Everyone would be safer inside their homes until further notice. The new citizens of Mainframe had been at the Principal Office since then, demanding Dot do more, like getting rid of Bob and Matrix. Soon, more and more residents were feeling the same way. 

_You walk alone, by yourself_   
_There's no sound, nothing's changing_

Enzo found himself all alone in Floating Point Park. It was dark out and very quiet. The small breeze that went through the trees seemed calming, it would be relaxing to the small boy. This was his refuge when things bothered him. It was probably passed his bedtime, but he didn't care. He was all worked up and worried. 

_They've gone away, left you there_   
_Emptiness is nothing you can share_

Mike the TV had gone missing, according to his camera crew. Enzo actually missed the little set. He could be annoying, yes, but he was entertaining and a good guy when it counted. Bob wasn't feeling well. The guardian would never admit anything to the boy, just saying he was probably under the weather or under a lot of stress. Matrix and AndrAIa had gone to some other system to do a scouting report. 

Enzo couldn't explain it, but he didn't feel quite right whenever Matrix was out of the system. He didn't know if it was worry or something else, but he only felt better when the big guy came back. And this time he had come back, but without AndrAIa. AndrAIa had saved him from being caught by some cube that got her instead. Matrix had been in a foul mood since then and so had Enzo. He was still angry at himself for what happened to him. His sides and chest still hurt whenever he took a deep breath, but the doctor said that would probably still be present for a few more cycles yet. 

Enzo sat down on the grass by his favorite tree. He could see the Energy Sea from here and it was sort of set off from the main paths of the park, so one could have some privacy. Enzo closed his eyes. He knew they were in some serious trouble now. Daemon had Mike and AndrAIa. Would she come for everyone next? What would happen if she got Matrix and Bob? The boy didn't want to think about that. The sound of footsteps alerted the boy he wasn't alone anymore. The mere heaviness though told him who his visitor was. Not many people knew he'd be out that night. 

"Hey." Matrix replied, seeing the small boy. 

The renegade had actually been out himself. He couldn't spend anymore time in his room, knowing he was there by himself. He couldn't understand why he hadn't protected AndrAIa. If he hadn't been distracted by that traitor Turbo, she would be here with him. So he went for a walk, was going to his spot, only to find it occupied. Seeing Enzo now, sitting there, quiet and unmoving, Matrix couldn't blame the boy for what happened. This time, it had been him that let someone down. It had been his jealousy that had almost cost AndrAIa her life and now his anger had probably brought the same fate this time. 

"Hey." the boy sighed. 

Matrix looked at the boy and knew he felt the same way he did. "I'll get her, Enzo." he said, looking out towards the horizon. "I'll bring her back. I promise. I'm going to get her back and destroy Daemon." 

Enzo looked up at his older self, the determination of his face, the hurt his voice carried. The boy could almost feel everything Matrix had ever felt. It was like the little boy he had been would sometimes show up in his voice and face, but always replaced with the hardened aspects of his life. "I'll go with you." he said, jumping up. Matrix stopped the boy with one hand and looked at him. 

"I don't think so." 

"Come on, Matrix!" the boy said, enthusiasm going through him. "I can help!" 

"Did you forget what happened a few cycles ago?" Matrix asked. "Did you forget you're still healing from a fractured rib?" 

Something about the way he had said it made Enzo extremely angry. "You still think I'm a baby." he seethed. "You think I can't do it, right?" 

"Enzo, I never said..." 

"You didn't have to!" Enzo screamed. "You think I don't know what goes on in that empty head of yours?! You still think I'm that weak little sprite that lost that game!" 

Matrix visibly flinched at the comment. "That weak little sprite did more than lose a game." he said, his voice dangerously low. "That weak little sprite caused Megaframe to be a reality. He trapped us in the games, put the sprite I love back in a place she had just escaped from." 

"That wasn't me." Enzo challenged. "It was your fault you lost the game, not mine. I bet it was your fault Andri got caught by Daemon!" 

Matrix's hand was around the small sprite's neck in a flash. One squeeze and the boy could easy be deleted. Enzo struggled with the grip on his neck, trying to pry the hand away from him, but his fingers were too small, just like him. "Be careful what you say to me, Boy." Matrix breathed. "I could snap you like a twig. And right now, there's no one around to stop me." Enzo continued to struggle, seeing the hatred in his older version's eyes. "You ruined my life." Matrix spat. "If you hadn't been so weak..." 

Matrix seemed to become conscious of what he was trying to do. Jerking his hand away, he stood and backed away from the boy, who was holding his throat and gasping for air. The two stood gazing at each other, before Matrix spoke. "Tomorrow I'm leaving." he said. "And I'm not coming back." With that, he turned on his heel and left. Enzo slid down the tree, terribly shaken. 

_All those words that hurt you_   
_More than you will let it show_

Hugging his knees close, the boy broke down. That had cinched it. Matrix hated him and could never be the brother he wanted. But the renegade had been right. Enzo had been weak. If he had been bigger and stronger like Matrix, he would've been able to protect himself against those bullies. He would be no match against Daemon. He tried so hard to make Matrix like him and now he had been proven wrong. No matter what he did, Matrix would only see him as that little sprite he had been long ago. 

Enzo could only cry harder. 

_Comes apart by yourself_   
_Always will and everything's wasted._

* * * 

Mouse had never been so angry or upset. Her interrogation of Turbo in the P.O.'s holding cell had put her in a very bad mood. The former Prime Guardian had informed her Daemon had Ray. Her little surfer boy. Mouse was all for going in and storming the SC, but Dot wouldn't have it. The hacker had always set her own rules, never followed anyone else's. Dot was her friend, yes, but Ray meant something to her as well. Now Daemon had Ray, Mike, _and _AndrAIa. It would be only a matter of time before the super virus came after Bob and the system. Mouse wouldn't let that happen. 

She'd delete Daemon first. 

But she couldn't possibly go in there alone. It hit her like a ton of bricks. She needed a real muscle man to help her get that sorry virus and she knew of a big, muscular, green sprite that would love to help her. So, Mouse went in search of Matrix and easily found him letting off steam in the gym. It had been an unused office in the building, so Matrix had asked Phong if he could turn into a rec room. It was still small, but Matrix had plans on expanding it a little in order to put some weight machines in. For now, he had his own weights and a punching bag, which he was currently demolishing. 

Usually, one would need an invitation to enter. Matrix liked having the privacy of being able to take his anger and aggression out and hated being disturbed unless it was important. Mouse didn't even bother to knock, just strolled in and watched as Matrix pummeled the bag. Sensing someone beside him, Matrix just gave the hacker a look, which clearly said, "get out" and went back to his task. 

"How'd you like to come to the Super Computer with me?" she asked, a grin on her face. 

Matrix stopped and looked up. "I'm listening." 

"We're gonna get Ray and AndrAIa back." 

"Ray?" Matrix asked. He had no idea Ray had been captured. 

Mouse only nodded, not wanting to show any emotion. She'd have time for that later. "I'm leaving bright and early tomorrow." she said. "You in?" 

Matrix grinned, a sign of bad things to come. "I wouldn't miss it for the Net." His face took on a determined look. "She's gonna pay for this." he continued. "She's gonna regret this. I got a bullet with Daemon's name on it." 

So, the next morning, Mouse and Matrix prepared to leave. Mouse couldn't leave without at least telling Dot her plan. She'd owe her that. But the Command.Com wouldn't even hear it. She had so much going on at the time. Phong and Bob were talking to her, Cecil was having a problem with Enzo, she was looking into Turbo's situation, she just didn't have the time to listen to them right now. 

That was her mistake. 

When Specky told her someone was leaving the system, Dot knew who it was. She mentally kicked herself for letting those two slip past her. And now they were headed for the Super Computer to rescue their significant others. She just couldn't handle this right now and on top of it all, she was worried about Bob. He hadn't been looking very good in the past cycle and today, he and Phong had been trying to tell her something. Well, actually Phong had been trying to tell her, but Bob was putting a stop to it. He was uncharacteristically tired lately and a few times she had caught him fading in and out. 

She wasn't sure what to do. 

Too many things were happening way too fast. 

She was becoming very overwhelmed. 

For the first time in her life, Dot didn't have a plan of action. 

* * * 

Daemon was very pleased. 

It hadn't taken her long at all to get people in from Mainframe and now she had four members of their own staff. She enjoyed Michele's company. He was very funny and entertaining and she had learned so much about Bob from him. And then AndrAIa came. What a wonderful sprite she was. She had taught the super virus about love and falling in love. The sprite even said her lover would come for her and he did. Matrix and Mouse had come after their loved ones as planned. They were also interesting sprites. 

Mouse had been the one responsible for keeping her and the Word out of Mainframe. Her designs and traps were marvelous, pure pieces of art. The hacker had a talent far more sophisticated than the average hacker. Daemon often praised her and genuinely meant it. She had talked to Mouse about her study of hacking. The sprite had learned very young from her uncle and then a friend of the family's. Her mother had died when she was very young and her father was often away. But now, she was a wonderful presence in the Super Computer, a leader to those in the decoding chamber. 

Matrix she talked to often. Sometimes, she would just watch as he and AndrAIa would sit alone, cuddling up to each other. Daemon caught a glimpse of love. The two often spent their time alone with each other, whispering and giggling. It was a pleasant sight to see. Matrix was very troubled, but the Word seemed to bring him peace. He had been fighting all his life, first with the death of his parents, then with two viruses, and then the games...the things he had gone through saddened Daemon. Even though he was strong and tough, he was still that little boy who craved approval from his sister and his hero. Daemon had learned about Dot. Matrix looked up to her, sought her approval, and was deeply hurt because he felt he had let her down, had disappointed her with his actions. 

Dot wasn't just his sister. She was his mother. 

And Bob was his father. Even though he was old enough to be the guardian's brother, Bob meant everything to the renegade. Bob was his hero. Lately, the two had been at odds and Matrix confessed that Bob wasn't doing so good. Daemon had been interested in that. She had learned of Bob's merger with his keytool. She needed him and to have him damaged in any way could jeopardize everything she was working for, but she thought passed that. She wanted to learn about Bob and Dot. The four Mainframers had said Bob and Dot loved each other, but were either in denial or unsure of their feelings. Daemon was slightly confused. 

If they loved each other, why couldn't they be together? 

"That's what we said!" the four chorused. 

"Strange, this love." she mused. "And who else is in Mainframe?" 

"Well, there's Phong." Mike said. "He's really smart." 

"And Little Enzo." AndrAIa said. 

"And who is he?" Daemon asked. "Your son?" 

AndrAIa blushed, Matrix took on a pained expression. Both sprites had been thinking about starting a family together, a thought that had been discussed during their journey through the games. Enzo was almost like a test to both. Every time Matrix saw him and Andri together, he knew she would be a wonderful mother to their children. She was kind, caring, loving...but for Matrix, he didn't think that was possible for them. What kind of father would he be? 

"No, he's not our son." AndrAIa said, a grin on her face. "You see, when Mainframe restarted, Matrix was still in game sprite mode. So the system thought he didn't exist, so it made another, younger Enzo Matrix." 

"I see." Daemon said, seeing the discomfort Matrix got from this discussion. She checked her internal clock. "It is time for you to get some sleep. I do not want to keep you awake all night." 

The four bowed and started to leave, when the small virus said, "Matrix, will you stay?" Matrix looked at his companions, a look of horror on his face. Oh no, had he done something wrong? He had, he knew it! 

"Of course, My Lady." he said, stopping in his tracks and watching as the others left. AndrAIa was last, giving her boyfriend a comforting smile, before leaving the room. The renegade turned to look at his mistress. "You wanted to talk to me, My Lady?" 

"Matrix, I want to know more about your smaller version." she said, sitting down on her throne. "Why do you not like him?" 

"It's a long story, Mistress." 

"I would like to hear it." 

Matrix gulped, not wanting to relive those hours of game hopping, not wanting to relive what he had almost done before he had left. "He's everything I hate." he finally said. 

"But he is you." she replied. "You do not like yourself?" 

"Look what he did!" Matrix said, trying his best not to break down. "He lost that game and he trapped us there." 

"But he did not do that." Daemon said, laying a comforting hand on his shoulder. "AndrAIa told me she loved you then. Did you love her as well?" 

Matrix took a deep breath. "I think I did." he said. "I liked her from the very start. But it's just so easy to fall in love with her." 

"That is not the reason you do not like him, is it?" 

Matrix looked down and swallowed hard. He never talked about his feelings with anyone other than AndrAIa and now here he was, spilling his guts out to a super a virus. A virus of all things! "They love him more than me." he sniffed. 

"Who?" 

"Everyone." he sighed. "Even AndrAIa. Mostly Bob and Dot though. They love him more. I know they do." He shook his head. "I'm not the same sprite I was some ten hours ago. I've totally changed for the worse. They don't need me around, they have him. What would they want with me?" 

"But you are a warrior and very skilled." she soothed. "You have survived more than anyone. You should be respected." 

Matrix sighed, wiping at his eyes. "I don't even know why AndrAIa loves me so much." he said, closing his eyes. "When I see them together, it's like I can see our future. Her being a mother is just something natural. I'd love to start a family with her, spend the rest of my life with her. But I can't." A tear escaped from his eye. "What kind of father would I be? I'm quick tempered and I shoot first and ask questions later." He turned to look at Daemon, his face full of sadness. "I almost deleted him." 

"You mean Little Enzo?" she asked. 

Matrix nodded. "He just got me so mad. He knows how to push my buttons and..." he choked back a sob. "I really think I hurt him." 

"Was he all right before you left?" 

"I think so, I...I didn't even check. But do you see?" he said, trying to calm all the emotions he felt. "If I can do that to a little kid, how am I supposed to be a good father? I could've deleted him!" 

Daemon looked at the renegade, so sad, so full of pain. She patted his shoulder and looked at him. The ways of sprites surprised her. There was so much to them on the inside. And she had only met four from Mainframe. She had yet to meet Dot, or Phong, or Enzo, or her messenger. Bob. And yet, she knew them so well. All had so many emotions. Things which seemed simple to her, were very complex to them. And now this. This guardian turned renegade seemed so tough and strong on the outside, but was still a scared little boy on the inside, wanting so much to receive the love and respect he had once had. 

Lifting his head up with her hand, Daemon wiped away a stray tear. "Do not worry, Matrix." she said. "Once Mainframe hears the Word, you will all be at peace." The green veins on the side of his head glowed and Matrix was instantly calmer than before. He nodded and stood up to go. "Matrix?" He turned to face her. "Everything will be all right, yes?" 

Matrix took a deep breath. He was calmer, things seemed to make sense. "Yes, My Lady." he said. "Goodnight." 

"Good night, Matrix." 

Matrix left the room, only to see AndrAIa waiting for him. She had stayed behind and had heard bits and pieces of his conversation. Not saying a word, she opened her arms and gave him a hug. Matrix relaxed in her embrace. When he was with AndrAIa, everything seemed all right. No matter what would happen, as long as he had AndrAIa, everything was fine. Daemon thought about her conversation with the large sprite. She needed to meet those that everyone had in high regard. 

Dot Matrix meant so much to them. She was Mouse's best friend, a sister to AndrAIa, and a mother to Matrix. She was the leader of Mainframe and a tough and savvy business woman on top of that. Daemon had never met her, but admired her strength. Like her brother, she too had been through so much. To lose her parents and then to have to raise her younger brother, not once, but now twice...she was incredible. 

And Bob. Her messenger. Downloading his keytool was extraordinary to say the least. The things that sprite would do for his friends, family, and system were remarkable and yet, his greatest prize would be knowing that the sprite he loved would love him too. Daemon leaned back in her chair. Once Mouse had broken through her codes, they would be going to Mainframe. 

She wanted to meet these sprites she had heard so much about. 

* * * 

Bob lay on his couch in his apartment. It was dark and quiet inside. The blue guardian had never felt so tired in his life. He was getting worse, he knew that now. That game he and Dot had been in had almost deleted him. So now, he wouldn't able to save the system if a game dropped. There was no way he was going to let Dot in one and he knew how she felt about Enzo getting into a game. They were stuck. Their other game players were now working for the enemy. 

Bob sighed. This was all his fault. 

If he just surrendered...the image of him surrendering to the super virus made him sick. He knew it was the only thing now. His thoughts drifted to Dot, they mostly did now. With him not able to anything, all he could do was think about the beautiful sprite that occupied his thoughts during the seconds and nights. He wanted...no,_ needed _to talk to her. If anything happened to him, he needed her to know how much he loved her. 

He wasn't going to make that mistake again. Now, he just had to find her. 

_Even though, she's on my mind_   
_Even though, she's hard to find_

He sat up on the couch and decided to make a portal to the Principal Office. He figured she'd be there. She always was. The thought that he could potentially defragment while making this portal was the least of his thoughts. He really wanted to see Dot, even if it was the last thing he did. 

_Even though, there's always something with you._   
_Even though, there's always something_

Making the portal, he felt a massive surge of pain, but it quickly passed. Stepping through, he set out to find Dot. Closing his eyes, he scanned the building and found she was in her office. Big surprise. She had spent the majority of this war there, literally shutting everyone out, including him. Walking down the hall, he tried to think what he had done, what he had said that made her want to avoid him. He walked in to the war room, noticing it was empty. Looking over, the door to Dot's office was slightly ajar. He felt goosebumps just thinking of her in there, by herself. She was coming apart, he knew that. This was too much for her to handle alone, but she was so stubborn. 

He peeked in and saw her, leaning back in the chair, arms behind her head. She was looking up at the ceiling, probably thinking. She tended to do that. User, but she was beautiful. Even if Bob never saw her again, she was beautiful to him right now. He knocked on the door, startling her. She quickly composed herself ~she'd been crying again, he could tell~ and straightened up in the chair. She looked over and a sad look flashed in her eyes. "Bob," she said, picking up her glasses. "I didn't hear you come in." 

"I had to talk to you." he said, walking inside and shutting the door the rest of the way. As soon as he came near her, she got up and crossed the room. She couldn't even look at him. 

A pang of sadness hit his heart. 

_I know we don't talk about it,_   
_I know that that's true_   
_I know we don't talk about it,_   
_I'm so scared that I'm losing you._

"Bob, I'm kinda busy, um..." Dot replied, her back to him. This was the first time the two had been alone together since he had return. Dot just wasn't sure what she should do. 

"Dot, I'm not basic." he said, standing behind her. "And I'm certainly not blind. You've been crying." 

"That's ridiculous." Dot said, a small laugh escaping her lips. 

"You have and you know it." Placing his hands on her shoulders, Bob could feel her relax. "Talk to me, Dot." he whispered. "Yeah I know we haven't been on the same file lately, but we're still friends, right? You used to be able to tell me anything. So why have you stopped?" Pulling her closer, he whispered in her ear, "You know how I feel about you." 

Dot was really torn. A part of her loved having Bob so close to her and she did know how he felt. Being around him had always comforted her, made her feel better when things went wrong. Just like now...her processor snapped back into reality. This wasn't the same Bob, was it? No. That Bob, her cute, lovable guardian, was gone. This was someone different, someone she didn't know and still wasn't comfortable with. Pulling away from him, she said, "Bob, I really have a lot of work to do, so if you could leave..." 

He wasn't letting her off that easily. 

Grabbing her, he spun her to face him and kissed her. If he expected she would jerk out of his gasp and slap him, he was saved. She responded to his kiss just as fiercely. It was like the restart all over again. Bob hadn't forgotten how wonderful that moment had been, how right it was to kiss her, to have her in his arms. Apparently, Dot hadn't forgotten either. This was right. The two of them together was right. They were meant to be together, no matter what. 

Bob explored her mouth, holding her tight, savoring every sensation and feeling it gave him. He could spend the rest of his seconds just like this. A whole new life could be started with Dot, just the two of them. His happy ending could happen, even in the face of something as big as this. Breaking the kiss, Dot pulled away from him, the same gratifying look in her eyes that Bob also had in his. 

"Dot, I..." 

"Bob, don't. Please." she pleaded, backing away from him. 

Her rejection hurt him more than anything. "Dot..." he said, another surge of pain hitting him. He faded briefly, but it was still enough to have Dot by his side, asking him if he was okay. 

He looked at her, pain and love colliding in his eyes and face. Is this what would get her attention? Did he actually have to delete before she came to her senses? Bob knew that was ridiculous, but as he gained his strength back, he could tell it was true. She would have to lose him again in order for her to see how much she loved him. But he might not come back this time. "I'm fine." he whispered, trying to smile. He ran a finger down her cheek, more enamoured with her now than ever. "I'm fine now." 

_I know we don't talk about it,_   
_I know that that's true_   
_I know we don't talk about it,_   
_I'm so lonely without you._

Backing away again, Dot lowered her eyes. He may have looked different on the outside, but he could still make her heart flip whenever they were close to each other. Shaking her head, she looked up at him. Things were different now. If she ever had hope they could ever be together, that had changed. They_ both _had changed. Since the restart, she knew things would never be the same again. 

"I really have to go, Bob." she said, quickly, turning and walking to the door. "I'll see you tomorrow." was all she said as she went out the door and left him there. 

The blue guardian closed his eyes, feeling the urge to cry himself. Dot didn't even want to make this work. She had given up the idea of them being together and wished he would too. Bob realized they would probably be friends, but he didn't think that could happen. He would always love her, no matter how much she tried to deny it or tried to push him away. 

_Even though, she just stopped trying_   
_Even though, I can't stop crying_   
_Even though, there's always something with you_   
_Even though there's always something_   
_With you._

Bob walked out of the office, feeling worse than ever. This was only killing him more. He had tried living without her in his life to no avail and now, he would just have to adjust. The idea of surrendering kept getting stronger and stronger, so did the idea of leaving. 

If he couldn't be with Dot, he really didn't have that much to live for. 

* * * 

Mainframe was not prepared for Daemon. 

They might have thought they were, but they truly weren't. Not when part of their staff had given them away. Now Daemon, the super virus, rolled into the small system, Mike, AndrAIa, Matrix, and Mouse by her side in her car. It hadn't taken Mouse very long to crack her own codes and soon, Mainframe was back on the Net and opened to Daemon's coming. It would be so easy now. Daemon would be able to complete her function. 

Not if Dot Matrix had anything to say about it. 

Dot didn't care if her friends and family had been infected, she wasn't going to let that virus just come in and take over her home. Not this time. But in order to lure her in to the trap, she needed someone to be bait. 

Live bait. 

Enter Bob, Guardian 452. Despite Bob's feelings about the whole thing, he none the less agreed to it. But he certainly voiced his opinions. "This is weak, Dot." he said, following her up the steps of the Principal Office. "Very weak." 

"This is all I got, Bob." she said. 

And it was true. This_ was _all she had. She had racked her processor for the longest time, trying to find a way to keep Daemon out of the system. Of course, she never planned that her best friend would be infected and that she would be able to break the codes she had set herself. And Dot never dreamed her brother would be infected. She knew it might happen, but she didn't think it would. And she never dreamed Bob would be sick. So sick, he couldn't reboot in the games, couldn't make portals without draining himself of energy... 

It was all happening too fast. 

And now, even as she saw the virus herself coming down, Dot was going to fight, no matter what. However it ended, she would fight for her home. She always had. But just like everyone else, Daemon found it easy to infect the system of Mainframe and everyone in it. Suddenly, Bob, Dot, Phong, and Hex were the virus's willing slaves. But Daemon threw Hex aside, saying she was an "abomination" to their whole strain. But it didn't matter now. 

Daemon had her messenger. 

And she set about using him to open those systems that had been closed to her. But after opening three portals, Bob landed with a thud on the steps of the Principal Office. Dot was by his side in an instant. Daemon watched as Dot looked over Bob in concern. She had learned enough about the two of them that she could see they both cared for each other. 

"You love him very much, don't you?" she asked knowingly. 

"What?" Dot asked, surprised the virus could know so much. "No, we're just..." She was going to say friends, but looking down at the guardian, she couldn't deny it anymore. She did love him, more than life itself. "Yes, My Lady," she said, looking up at the small virus. "I do love him." 

Everything after that seemed to be a blur. Dot didn't care about what else happened, as long as Bob would be okay. Right now, he was struggling for breath and he had a pained look on his face. She had missed an epic battle between Daemon and Hex and apparently Hex had gained the upper hand. With only three portals opened, Daemon wouldn't be able to complete her function. It didn't matter anyway. Bob wasn't at a hundred percent. And she would need him. For now, she guess she could wait. She needed to regroup anyway. Hexadecimal had put up a tremendous fight against her. 

She would get her revenge. No worries. For now, she would leave things the way they had been and take her leave until the next battle. 

Bob was hurting really bad. He had drained a lot of his energy just trying to open those three portals. Whether they worked or not, he didn't know. For now, he was on the P.O.'s front steps, trying to find the strength to just sit up. At least Dot was here with him. He couldn't handle it if she hadn't been. She was talking to him, saying something. The guardian tried to focus on her voice, tried to decipher what she was saying. 

"We need you, Bob. I need you. I love you. Marry me, Bob." 

Had he heard what he thought he did? Had Dot asked him to marry her? Well, duh! Yes! Yes! A thousand times yes! His head screamed, saying the things he wanted to so much right now. "I thought you'd never ask." was all he could muster before Dot sealed it with a kiss. 

* * * 

Bob sat on the examining table, bored out of his processor. He really didn't like this. He was feeling much better now, he really didn't need to stay in the medical unit. But Phong wanted to make sure. After exerting himself like that, his body could've easily shut itself down and that would've taken the guardian away from everyone who loved him. So, he recovered in the M.U. But today, Bob was feeling great. Just overall better, but Phong insisted he be poked and prodded, something Bob did not like at all. 

But things were looking up when Dot entered the room. The two always lit up when the other entered, Phong noted, grinning as Dot by passed him and went straight to the patient. Draping her arms around his shoulders, she asked, "How's the patient, Phong?" 

"Unreceptive, but other wise doing well." he replied. 

Dot turned to Bob. "Are you being a good boy?" she asked. 

"Yes." Bob whined. "I told Phong I'm perfectly okay now, but he insists on poking me with cold, hard metal sticks." 

"That is to make sure you are indeed all right, my son." Phong said, rolling over to them. "It seems for now, you are." 

"I told you that." Bob said, sounding like a little kid who had been right about something. 

Phong smiled, patting the guardian on the leg, and left the two intendeds alone. "He's trying to make sure you're okay, you know." she said, smiling sweetly at him. 

"I know." Bob sighed. "But I've been so bored." He looked at her and returned the smile. "But the bright spot has been seeing you today. C'mere." 

Pulling her towards him, he delivered a hello kiss to her lips. Things were finally going right. They had actually survived being infected by Daemon and would again if she ever returned. No doubt she would. She still needed Bob to complete her mission, but as long as she thought he was out of action for a while, the better off they would be for planning a return attack on her. But for now, he and Dot were together, finally! Even as they kissed, nothing could ruin this. Nothing. Everything was falling into place. They were getting married. They would finally be together. 

Breaking the kiss, Bob leaned his forehead against hers. "User, I've missed you." he said, his breath returning. 

Dot smiled against his lips. "I've missed you." she murmured. "Are you sure you're okay?" 

"I am now that you're here." 

She titled her head back and looked at him seriously. "No, really." she demanded. 

"I'm fine." he said. "Really. I made a promise, remember?" 

Coming back towards him, she said, "I know." 

"I'm not letting you back out of your proposal." 

Dot giggled and kissed him gently. "I wouldn't dream of it." she said, kissing him again. 

* * * 

There was a lull in attacks and infections, something Phong found increasingly worrisome, but at least they had been freed from the infection. Mainframe was no good to Daemon if Bob wasn't all right. That, he could be thankful of. The situation with Bob and Glitch still worried the old sprite. If Bob had been drained so easily, it could happen again and the next time the guardian might not be so lucky. 

But for now, things were settling down. 

And it also seemed to bring an end to the long standing feud that had clogged the sprites' processors. Bob and Dot were finally together and happy. Phong had noted that both needed to be in constant physical contact with one another. Whether Bob had his arm around her or holding hands, the two just needed to be assured that the other was there. Phong also noticed a change a positions at the counsel table. Where it had been everyone sit where ever, the couples naturally started sitting together, needing to be in constant contact with each other. 

There was, however, still a problem. 

Matrix and Enzo. 

That case still proved to very interesting to Phong. The two were the same, but not. They were the same code, but had different personalities. But they reacted in much the same way. When AndrAIa had been captured by the super virus, both Matrix and Enzo had been very upset, of course. But when young Matrix had been in the clutches of Daemon, young Enzo seemed to be off somehow. The wise sprite had noticed that whenever Matrix was out of the system, the boy didn't seem to be the same, but as soon as the renegade returned, the boy was back to his old self. 

It disturbed Phong greatly that the two couldn't see how alike they were. And apparently, it bothered young Enzo as well. Something had happened the last time Matrix was in the system. When before Enzo had kept a close watch on his older self, when Matrix returned again, the young boy didn't want to have anything to do with him. And no prodding from Dot nor AndrAIa get the two to talk to each other. Phong worried they would always be like this and he was very afraid for Enzo now as well. 

The bullying had started again. 

* * * 

Enzo once again found himself in Floating Point way past his bedtime. He came here regularly now, if just to be by himself. So many wonderful things had happened, yet the one thing he wanted more than any was something that wouldn't happen. Things seemed to be okay on the surface. Bob and Dot were getting married. They would finally be able to be a family now. The system had been spared, at least this time, by Daemon, who receded the infection herself. Enzo didn't know viruses could do that. He knew they could infect, but he had no idea they could cancel their own infection. Maybe it was something only super viruses could do. Anyway, that was over with for the time being. Everything was fine. 

Or so everyone thought. 

Enzo was still getting beaten up and at this point, he didn't even struggle with it anymore. If he wasn't going to get beaten, he might as well take it. He probably deserved it. Every time it happened, all he could think about was the last time he saw Matrix before the big sprite was infected._ You ruined my life. _The same thing ran through his head every time he saw the renegade. The boy remembered how close to deletion he had come. Matrix** could **snap him like a twig and almost did. And so far, Enzo couldn't see a hint of remorse in the large sprite's eyes whenever he looked at him. 

Enzo had hoped once Bob and Dot got together, they could all be a family. Bob and Dot were already the parents he wanted so badly and Matrix would be the brother he always wanted, but now the dream seemed just that. It was a baby dream, Enzo came to realize. Only a basic little baby would a dream like that. He was dreaming that Bob and Dot could be his parents, but now that dream seemed to be coming true, but how long would it last, he wondered. Enzo tensed up when he heard those familiar heavy footsteps coming his way. 

Matrix was here. 

The renegade had no problem finding the boy, even if Dot, AndrAIa, and Bob did. It was just like those three to send him looking for the boy, but he guess he needed to talk to him anyway. He hadn't lied while under Daemon's control. He had been worried about Enzo since the last time they were there. Now that Bob and Dot were getting hitched, Matrix was thinking more and more about asking AndrAIa to marry him. But he couldn't go through with knowing he had almost deleted a little kid. 

AndrAIa and Dot both said the little sprite wasn't the same whenever Matrix wasn't in the system. Matrix too had felt the same thing. He didn't feel all there whenever he was away from Mainframe. He figured it was because he felt he wouldn't see it again. Every time he left, it felt like the games all over again. The first few times he and AndrAIa had left, he got panicky and slightly paranoid. It wasn't until they came back, that he felt better. But he had gotten over that or so he thought. He never really did feel exactly whole unless he knew where Enzo was. It was weird, but it seemed right some how. 

So, the girls had pleaded with him to find the little guy. He looked up to him, something he couldn't understand. Or rather, he had. Matrix's display of affection in the park last time certainly didn't signal that he cared. No one could make him as mad as Enzo did. The kid just had a way of pushing too hard, but Matrix guessed he should be used to that. He had pushed Enzo over the line as well. Well, the renegade was going to make peace with the whole thing. Neither one of them was leaving for the time being, so they had to learn to get along. 

"Hey." he said. 

"I thought you weren't coming back." the boy replied, not bothering to look over. 

The large sprite sighed. "I had a change of heart." he said. 

"_You?_" the boy asked, smirking. "_Have a heart? _Excuse me while I laugh out loud." 

That stung. Enzo certainly wasn't going to make this easy. Matrix took a seat under the tree and leaned back. It was nice out, a cool breeze blowing softly, the Energy Sea sparkling across the way. 

Enzo glanced back at the sprite. "Don't you have somewhere else to be?" he grumbled. 

"Don't you?" Matrix shot back. "Don't forget, this was my spot first, Junior." 

Enzo whipped around and stared at the sprite. "Don't EVER call me junior!" he hissed. "Ever. I may be your copy, but that doesn't make me your_ exact _copy. I could** never **grow up to you." 

Matrix flinched briefly. It was like watching his own child reacting to him. He would be a horrible father, he knew it. The boy turned back around, holding his knees to his chest. "I don't want you to be me, Enzo." he whispered. "I've done a lot of things I shouldn't have, a lot of stuff I'm not proud about. The last thing I would want is for you to go through the things I did. No one should have to go through that." Enzo sniffed. "I'm not a very good person, Enzo." Matrix continued. "I'm certainly not a saint. I could never be." 

"You're a good guy, Matrix." Enzo said, despite his feelings not to. "Cause I'm a good kid, so that automatically makes you a good guy." 

Matrix chuckled in spite of himself. "I don't feel like it sometimes." he said. He was silent before continuing. "I'm sorry about what I did." he said. "I shouldn't have grabbed you like that. I shouldn't have said the things I did. I really am sorry." 

"I know you are." the boy whispered. And he did know Matrix didn't mean to do the things he did. It was just habit now. He was still stuck in a survival mode, where he thought everyone was out to get him. "Can I ask you something?" 

"What?" 

He turned around to face his older self. "How come you hate me so much?" he asked, pain clearly crying out from his eyes. "I mean, what I ever do to you? I never hit you or called you names, so how come you don't like me?" 

"It's complicated, Enzo." he sighed, resting his head on the tree. 

"It's complicated, Enzo. It's complicated." the boy mocked, standing up and walking over to the tree. "I hear that enough, I could make a profit on it. If I hear it one more time, I think I'll scream. And I will, too!" 

"Do you know what it's like, Enzo?" he asked, looking away. "Do you know what it's like to know you've let everyone who was depending on you down? Knowing that if you had only been braver or smarter or stronger, things could've turned out differently. I think about that every second, Kid. Thinking about how if I had been stronger in that game, Megaframe wouldn't have happened. Game hopping wouldn't have happened." 

"The restart wouldn't have happened." Enzo said, finishing the thought. "But Matrix, if you hadn't been game hopping, you and AndrAIa wouldn't have fallen in love, probably. And then you wouldn't have found Bob and brought him home. He could still be floating out there somewhere, going around and around and around and around and a..." 

"I get the picture, Enzo." Matrix said, cutting him off. 

"Right." he nodded. "And if the restart hadn't happened, then I wouldn't be here. And for that, I, quite frankly, am thankful." The boy looked over at his counterpart. "You did what you had to do to come back home. No one can hate for that, and if they do, I'll sick Frisket on them!" Matrix smiled, a rarity. 

The boy sat down next to him. "And yeah I do know what it's like to let people down, to be the weakling that couldn't do anything." Matrix looked at the boy, surprised he would say something like that. Suddenly, it finally made sense to him. 

"It's started again, hasn't it?" 

Enzo merely nodded. "I wish I was big and strong like you. Than everyone would be afraid of me." 

"Gee, thanks a lot." he muttered. 

"Sorry." the boy giggled. "But you know. Than they would leave me alone." 

Matrix sighed. That was the whole reason he had become who he was. He wanted people to fear him, so that they would leave him and AndrAIa alone. It was so he could protect them both from danger. The moment he lost his eye and that game always stayed with him, even now. He had gotten bigger, stronger...meaner. It was the only way he'd be ready for Megabyte if they ever got home. 

But now they were home and he was still bigger, stronger, meaner...and now he had someone who wanted to go that same route he had taken. Matrix remembered something Phong had told him. Matrix had come to see him on some unrelated matter, when the wise sprite had brought up Little Enzo... 

_"And how is little Enzo?"_

_Matrix flinched. "I don't know and personally, I really don't care."_

_"Matrix, have you given any thought as to why your younger version is currently in the system?" Phong asked. "A more deeper reason than you having left your icon in game sprite mode?"_

_"Sure." Matrix replied. "He's here to torment me. Torture me. Remind me of everything that was wrong with me when I was younger."_

_"Are you sure that is the real reason, my son?"_

_Matrix looked at the old sprite. "What other reason can there be?" he asked._

_"Perhaps you are to guide him away from the mistakes you have made."_

At the time, Matrix had just shrugged it off, having no idea what the wise sprite was talking about, but now it made sense. Enzo was supposed to be the way to make things right. It was to make sure another one of _him _wasn't running around causing havoc. He remembered how hurt he had been when Enzo had yelled at him, how he didn't want to be anything like him. But that was good, right? Enzo not growing up to be him meant there could and would only be one Matrix, thank the User. But something underlying the statement had made Matrix flinch. Maybe it was the harness that had come from the boy's tone. 

"Enzo, I don't want you picking fights or anything." he said, trying to choose his words carefully. "It's okay to defend yourself and all, but you don't have to get into every fight that comes your way." 

"I don't?" the boy asked. 

"No, you don't." Matrix repeated. "Pick your fights. Walk away from ones you can't handle." The renegade looked down at his younger version. "If you need help at any time, anywhere, I'll help you out." 

"Really?" 

"I promise." 

The boy smiled. Knowing he had Matrix on his side and not against him anymore made him feel relieved. "Hey, thanks for covering for me with Dot." he said. "About my eye and everything. I know you got in trouble and stuff." 

"Don't worry about it." he replied. "That's what families do, right?" 

Enzo nodded, grinning. He'd finally get his big brother.   


**With the war with Daemon on hold for the moment, things seem to be back to normal in Mainframe, but are they? Daemon may not breaking down the doors, but it doesn't mean she isn't planning a come back. This is the last chapter for this arc. Just when you think things can't get any better...******

**Disclaimer: Lyrics from "Angel Eyes" is by the Jeff Healey Band. Big thanks to Julia C for song suggestions.**

  


**Arc 1 - Chapter 6 - Happily Ever After?**

The morning was fairly busy in Mainframe. Things were getting back to normal, though the system was still under the ever constant threat of Daemon. At Dot's Diner, Cecil was busy showing customers to their seats and bringing their food around. In a nearby booth, Mouse, AndrAIa, and Matrix sat laughing about a game they had just come from. Things seemed to be getting back to the same old, same old with some considerable differences. 

Bob and Dot were finally together. The guardian and Command.Com were usually seen together, either walking through the park or having lunch at the Diner. It was wonderful to finally see something that was so obvious to everyone else become apparent to them. Ray Tracer was back and okay. The Web surfer had been a scout in Daemon's army, but was now back in the system. And he and Matrix were getting along. Of course, the renegade managed to thank Mouse every other second for keeping the charming surfer away from_ his _girlfriend. 

And best of all, Enzo and Matrix were getting along. Even though Enzo was still confronting his occasional bully, at least now Matrix was there for back up. And the two spent regular time in Matrix's little gym, something AndrAIa and Dot had been leery about, but felt it was all right for the time being. This morning seemed to bring out the best in everyone, even Cecil didn't have his daily remarks when the gaming sprites walked in through the door. 

And in the best of moods was Dot Matrix herself. 

She had entered the Diner via the kitchen from the small apartment below, singing. Actually singing. And a love song by the sound of it. She even sang a good morning to Cecil as she walked passed him. The trio of sprites in the booth stopped their conversation in order to watch the young leader go about her business as she sang to various customers. Finally, she made her stop at their table, looking at her organizer as she continued to sing. "Don't anyone wake me if it's just a dream, cause he's the best thing that's ever happened to me. Good morning." she sang, giving her companions a smile. 

The trio just looked at her. 

"Well, you're certainly chipper this morning." AndrAIa replied, chewing on her straw. 

"More chipper than usual." Mouse murmured, causing the game sprite to giggle a bit. 

"And why shouldn't I be?" Dot asked, grinning like a little kid. "It's a beautiful morning out, business is booming, daisy wheels are coming up, birds are singing..." With a dreamy sigh, she finished with, "Life is just overall good." 

"Well, we're certainly happy for you." Matrix replied, giving Mouse a look. He was certainly glad to his sister in a more gleeful mood. 

* * * 

Bob yawned and stretched. 

He lay in bed, a happy sigh escaping his lips. His life was perfect. He and Dot were about to be married and things couldn't get any better. Worse, yes, but Bob didn't want to think about that. Right now, he was all cozy warm in bed and the light from the morning second was lighting the room. He smiled and opened his eyes. 

And immediately sat up. 

This wasn't his bedroom. 

The guardian started to panic as he looked around at his new surroundings. It was clean. A clean room. It certainly wasn't his bedroom, which meant he wasn't even in his apartment. Thoughts of having been kidnapped ran through his head. His head snapped all around, surveying the newness. A nearby desk with a couple of pictures on it, shelves on either wall with variety of stuffed animals on them, cream colored walls...smirking to himself, Bob shook his head, now recognizing the room he occupied. 

Dot's. 

Looking down at the sky blue sheets, the events of the other night came to him. His smile got bigger, as a dreamy look came to his eyes. He had been helping Dot rearrange the kitchen of the Diner. With the restart and the war, she hadn't had time to do an inventory check and she refused to have Cecil do it, saying he did too much already and it was, after all, her diner. So they had been upstairs, checking and rechecking different items and cataloging them. Bob had gotten bored and a bit restless, so he hit Dot with an ice cube, right in the small of her back. He hadn't meant to do it, it just happened. That had lead to Dot chasing him around the kitchen. 

Which lead to a rather steamy kiss by the refrigeration unit. 

Which ultimately lead downstairs. 

The two knew their relationship would probably head in that direction, they were getting married after all. It had been wonderful, something Bob was certainly looking forward to do again. But for now, he just sat back and looked around. He hadn't been in a girl's room since high school and another time at the Academy. Those had been just rooms to him, but this...this was _her _room. He took a more lengthy look ~after all, he had been distracted by something else the night before~ and tried to familiarize himself with the layout. 

The walls and ceiling were cream colored, a few pictures of friends and family hanging on their sides. Two shelves lined either wall, either with various stuff animals, some looking as though they were hours old, probably from when Dot was a baby. The sheets were sky blue, with medium sized, dark blue squiggly lines on them. The spread was the opposite, being dark blue with sky blue lines. The foot mat matched the walls and a wood polished nightstand stood next to the bed with a clock on top. To the guardian's left was Dot's desk, neat and tidy, and with two pictures on it. One was a collage of her brothers and their parents, the other was of the two of them, taken just recently. 

Looking at the clock, he realized he had overslept and needed to get out of there. 

* * * 

Matrix shook his head. 

The girls obviously knew something he didn't. 

Mouse and AndrAIa couldn't stop giggling and one look from Mouse, Dot turned all red and could only grin. The large sprite looked back and forth between them, apparently missing a joke he hadn't even heard. He would never understand girls or women for that matter and it didn't matter if he had an older sister or had been dating AndrAIa forever, he didn't get it. He never would. 

That is, until he saw Bob come from the kitchen. 

The blue guardian came over to the table and delivered a greeting to all three. The two were all dreamy-eyed and giggly as they stood next to each other. It finally smacked the renegade in the face. "Why, Bob," Mouse replied, trying not to burst out laughing. "Fancy meeting you here." The two girls couldn't hold it any longer and broke down laughing, even Matrix smirked. Now, he certainly didn't want to think of his sister in that fashion, but by the way the two were acting, it was just too funny. 

"What?" Bob asked, grinning in spite of himself, looking at the three. 

"Nothing." Matrix smirked. "Can't we laugh just to laugh?" 

"Okay." 

"So Bob," AndrAIa said, swallowing a laugh. After calming herself a bit, she continued. "What brings you here?" 

"Oh...well..." Bob started. Seeing the looks on their faces, he quickly realized coming through the kitchen, which lead directly to his girlfriend's apartment did not look good. "See, I got here really early and I...I fixed a tear." he said, quickly trying to make up something. 

"Hmm." the three said amid some chuckling and giggling. 

"No, see...really." Bob replied, nodding. "Isn't...isn't that right, Dot?" 

"What?" Dot asked, her processor somewhere else. One look at each other, the new found lovers couldn't possibly hide the fact that more was going on with them. 

"Tell them I was here early this morning." Bob requested, trying to hold back the desire to kiss her. 

Dot turned back to the three, a noticeable blush coming to her cheeks. "He was here earlier helping with inventory." 

"Fixing a tear." Bob corrected. 

"Fixing a tear." Dot repeated. "He was fixing a tear." 

Mouse started to laugh even harder. "I can't...I can't take it." she blurted in between gasps. "You two love birds are off the hook for now. This is just too funny." 

"Well, we do this for your sole enjoyment, Mouse." Bob said, sarcastically. "If you'll excuse us, I think we're heading over to the Principal Office now." 

Mouse opened her mouth to say something that would certainly cause the two blush and her companions to cry from laughter, but she waved it off, deciding she would use it at a later date. Dot gave the three a smile before she and Bob went outside. 

* * * 

Enzo was having a great second. School was over ~most certainly the highlight~ and he was heading to the Diner, as always. It was great knowing either Bob or Matrix would be there. The two guardians were the best. Bob would be his brother in law in couple more minutes and Matrix_ was _turning out to be a great big brother. The renegade still had his problems, but Enzo figured he'd help the big out. 

Just as Enzo was thinking how great his life was going now, he looked up and saw the one dark side of it. In front of him stood five sprites, all around the age of one-two and one-four. Their leader, a boy named Mark Riter, stood in front. Enzo's tormentors were waiting for him, as usual. 

But today, Enzo wasn't about to deal with this. 

"Well, Matrix," Mark replied, smirking at the boy. "Ready for your daily beating?" 

"Actually, boys, I have a previous engagement to attend to." Enzo said, matter of factly. "So, if you'll excuse me." 

"Quit being a smart ASCII, Matrix." one boy said, blocking Enzo's path. 

"Yeah, your little guardian friends aren't gonna save you." another laughed. 

"They never do anyway." 

"Still think your guardian friends are great?" Mark asked, stepping forward. "We might not be able to get to them, but we can get to you..." 

Enzo swallowed hard. He really wanted to follow Matrix's advice, about walking away from a fight, but these guys weren't letting him do that. Instead, Enzo dropped his book bag and stood in the fighting stance Matrix taught him. He was going to really defend himself this time. The five boys laughed when they saw Enzo ready to take them on. 

"Look at the little baby trying to take on the big boys!" one shouted. 

"Don't you need your diaper changed, little baby Enzo?" another mocked. 

Enzo could feel the anger welling up inside of him. He knew he'd just get pounded harder for resisting, but if he could land a good punch in, he'd feel better, even if he did get his ASCII kicked. The boys were still laughing and preparing to give Enzo the worse beating yet. Putting the boy in the hospital hadn't satisfied their thirst. The guardians were going to pay for what they did to their homes and families and if they couldn't get to them, they would get to the closest and smallest thing that would. The boys started to advance, as Enzo got ready for an all in out brawl. 

Suddenly though, the boys looked genuinely terrified and started to back away. 

Enzo couldn't believe it. He had done it. Those boys knew he'd put a fight and they couldn't handle it if they actually got beaten up by him. Little Enzo! The boy grinned and the five took off running towards their homes. "That's right!" he shouted after them. "That'll teach_ you _to mess with_ me!_" Enzo took a step back, surveying his handiwork, when he ran into something. Looking up, he smiled. 

"Big me!" he exclaimed, seeing the bearded face of his older brother looking down at him. 

"Thought you could use some help." the renegade replied, giving the boy a surprising smile. 

"I tried to walk away, I really did." the boy said, picking up his bag and following the big sprite to his motor bike. "But they wouldn't let me, so I thought I'd stick it out, you know. Take my dues, like you said." 

Getting on the bike, Matrix asked, "Wanna ride home?" The boy nodded excitedly and Matrix pulled a helmet from the back. Looking at the boy though, the renegade realized he could easily fall off if he was riding in back of him. Handing the helmet to the boy, the big sprite lifted him up and sat him on the front seat. Not only would Enzo be reasonably safer, he'd have a nicer view. 

"All set?" Matrix asked, making sure the helmet was on straight. Enzo nodded, his head looking strange with the helmet over his head. Matrix shook his head and chuckled, then started the bike. 

* * * 

Dot lay her head on Bob's chest, listening to the pounding of his heart get gradually slower, back to its normal pace. She loved spending time with the blue guardian, especially like this. He was warm and gentle...she snuggled closer to him, feeling his arms tighter around her. It was like this she had noticed several things that alarmed her. Aside from the small puncture like holes that marked the upper part of his stomach, she had been concerned about three larger scars. 

There was on his side that looked to be hours old and was pretty faint, but the other two...one in between his shoulder blades and the other right over his heart. He also had two large diagonal welt marks on his back and was sensitive when she touched it. Only one thing would explain these marks and maybe the ones he still harbored. They had been tentative about questioning each other on certain hard times...like Bob's experiences in the Web or Dot's parents and the Twin City, but they were going to be married in a little over a minute and it was just something Dot figured they each needed to know. Without wasting anytime, she began to trace the scar near his shoulder. 

"Bob?" 

"Hmmm?" came the sleepy reply. 

"How'd you get this scar on your side?" 

Bob smiled at the memory. "I got my appendix taken out my first hour at the Academy." he said, laughing a bit. "It ruptured in one of my classes and I was sent to the medical ward. But, I did get to eat data cones for two cycles." 

"What about this one?" she asked, still tracing the scar. "And the one on your chest?" 

Bob smile quickly vanished and he scrunched up his face as thought reliving a memory. Not hearing an answer, Dot propped up to glance at him and saw the pained expression on his face. He opened his eyes, but didn't look at her. "I love you more than anything." he whispered. "I think I always have. Sometimes...sometimes a sprite does things he wouldn't do in order to get back something he lost." Closing his eyes again, he sighed deeply. 

"I did some things I'm not proud of, only if it meant getting back to you. Yeah, I regret the things I did, but if I had to do it over, I wouldn't change anything. The Web isn't like the Net, Dot. There's really no one you can turn to if you're in trouble. You're almost on your own. The Web Riders have their own set of rules and that includes protecting all the living beings in the Web, even if it's the price of someone else's life." 

He paused again, he himself tracing the scar Dot had referred. "I think this is a stab wound." he said, his voice sounding distant. "And I know the other is from a bullet." 

Dot tried to quiet the gasp that was on her lips. "Oh Bobby." she said, hugging him tightly and kissing his cheek. 

Bob closed his eyes, basking in her love. Opening them, he went back to his story. "You don't join the Web Riders, Dot." he said, rubbing her shoulder. "You're initiated in. A test of strength. The strongest obviously have more to do and are the protectors of the group. A warrior. So you're tested...a leather whip across the back..." 

"Bob..." she whispered, not sure if she wanted to hear the rest. 

"All I thought about was you." he continued. "You would've made a good warrior, Dot. With everything you've gone through and survived. I just thought of you and how strong you were and are. You'd probably take it and be bored after the first three hits. Maybe you'd ask for more." Bob chuckled slightly. "I had to come home to you, Dot. I couldn't stay there. Not forever." 

"You're home now and we're together." she whispered, nuzzling his ear. "We can get through this together. "You're not alone in this anymore." 

Bob turned to look at her. The way she had said it, he realized she had gone through hell just as much. Both of them were good fighters, yes, but having to go the extreme links that they did had changed them for the worse. Neither of them enjoyed deleting someone and he looked into his lover's eyes, he could see the haunted, saddened look he often had in his. That moment he knew Dot had suffered just as much, if not more than he had. 

Claiming her lips, he kissed her hard and was reward with the same depth. She was right. They could get through this together and anything else. Even as the kiss went further, the worries and problems that had plagued them the last hour and half couldn't match the happiness that would soon result in a few more minutes. 

* * * 

It was a lovely second in Mainframe and a happy one at that. The wedding of the day was taking place inside the Principal Office. Inside, those invited were all cheerfully chatting about the upcoming nuptials, while the rest of Mainframe could see the event on the PA vidwindow. The groom, Guardian 452, paced nervously up and down the alter. With the exception of Phong, he was the only sprite up there. The best men were doing other jobs before they would able to stand next to the excited groom. 

Finally, the music for the procession started. First came the flower girl, Princess Bula. In all the planning of the wedding, the group had totally forgotten about flower girls until the last nano, begging the princess to do this one favor for them. Next came the ring bearer. Enzo looked snappy in his tux and carried the two rings on the pillow. He had adamantly refused to be a flower girl, even if he only through one flower. Next was the Maid of Honor and bride's maid. Mouse and AndrAIa had a bet going on which one would be catching the bouquet. Ray was determined AndrAIa catch the thing. 

Then...the official wedding march started. 

Matrix came from stage right, as Dot came from stage left. Matrix had been honored to deliver his sister to his hero. Nothing made him happier, except maybe seeing Enzo as a flower girl. Holding out his arm and smiling, he escorted Dot slowly down the aisle to her groom. The renegade couldn't believe he actually made without tripping and falling on his face, he was totally nervous. Bob walked a short ways to take Dot's hand in to his. Offering a kiss to her cheek, Matrix handed over his sister to his soon to be brother in law. 

* * * 

Somewhere in the Super Computer, the Word was growing stronger. 

As was Daemon. 

Though she still needed to reach those systems out of her grasp, she had faith that her messenger would soon hear the Word. Word from the others was he and Dot Matrix were getting married. Daemon smiled. She was happy that the two could finally be together. If only they could understand how wonderful the Word could be to their future, but it was all right. 

Daemon would wait. 


	6. BEGINNINGS: Arc 2: The Christopher Lan S...

A baby. The coming of a baby means the beginning of a new life and the beginning of a new story. Welcome to the second arc in our story, where we explore the beginnings of a new life for some familiar sprites. Parenthood is often the hardest thing to understand. Laughter, tears, and growing up all mark the beginning of discovery. 

**Beginnings******

**Arc 2 - Chapter 1 - Finding Out**

Dot felt horrible. 

The urge to throw up was now becoming constant as she lay in bed. She turned her head to look over at the bathroom. User, it was soooo far away. She was nauseous, headachy, stomach achy, her body was just achy. _What a time to get the flu,_ she thought, moaning in protest to the throbbing pain she had. She was Dot freakin' Matrix. She shouldn't be getting the flu! She had a system to run, spam it! Oh no. 

She had to go. 

Now she was nauseous, headachy, stomach achy, and she had to go. Throwing the covers back, she lay there for a bit longer, trying to will her legs over the side of the bed and to walk to the bathroom. Well, they just weren't listening. Sliding slowly, she managed to get her feet to touch the floor, but within a nano, she too found herself on the floor with a thud. "Ow." she groaned, curled up on the ground. Well, at least she was closer now than she had been. Taking the sweet time her body would give her, Dot made the grueling crawl and finally made it to the bathroom door. 

Her cheek was against the coolness of the floor and she sighed. This felt wonderful. Why didn't she sleep on the floor more often? NO! She was trying to get to the bathroom. She had a lot of stuff to do today and one of them didn't include her dozing off on the nice, cool, clean bathroom tile. Snaking her hand around, she managed to grab the edge of the sink and hoist the upper part of her body up. 

Not a good idea. 

Somehow the quick motion had jarred her already upset tummy and Dot soon found her head heaving over the toilet bowl. After she was through, she rested her head on the cool porcelain._ Man, stuff in here is nice and cool,_ she thought. There was no way she'd be making it out of here. It was too nice, too smooth and relaxing. Closing her eyes, Dot started to drift off into dreamland, the place she had been before the urging took hold. She was just going back to that lovely dream she had about a handsome blue guardian, when someone calling her name woke her up again. 

"What?" she demanded, eyes still closed. 

"Are you okay?" the voice asked. She knew that voice. It was someone she knew. 

"Yes." she mumbled. "Whadda you want?" 

"Well, I'd like to get dressed for school, if it's not too much of a problem." 

Enzo. That's who that was. Her little Enzo. "Oh." she said, not yet willing to leave her cool spot. "Um...do you really want to go?" 

Enzo Matrix looked at his sister. Newly turned one-two, the adolescent would be leaving for the Guardian Academy next hour, on the condition that his grades and attitude about school improved. So to see his sister now, basically drooling on the toilet seat, telling him he could miss school, was something unheard of. "Dot, you know I gotta go to school." he said, quickly looking around. Maybe she was testing him. Maybe she and Bob were testing him to see if he truly wanted this. Well, you had to get up pretty early in the second to fool Enzo Matrix. 

He wasn't falling for it. 

"You're testing me, aren't you?" the young boy asked, looking at his sister. 

Dot felt too sick to hit him. 

* * * 

After managing to pull herself to her feet, Dot actually got to work. It was just the flu, surely she could work around it. Or so she thought. It seemed lights gave her a headache and talking confused her. She spent the majority of the morning, head down on her desk in her office. 

She was starting to make people wonder. 

Matrix stood by the door with Bob and AndrAIa, glancing occasionally at the door to his sister's office. "Hey, is Dot feeling okay?" he asked, concerned. "She's not looking too good." 

"I don't know." Bob said, shrugging his shoulders. "Enzo called and said Dot may have the flu, but she didn't think staying home was an option." 

"She looks horrible." Matrix said, earning a look from his girlfriend. "Her face is puffy." 

Swatting him on the arm, AndrAIa hissed, "You better not let Dot hear you say that!" 

"Well, she's puffy!" Matrix defended. "She looks like the marshmallow binome." 

"Your talent for tact is something to be desired, Sparky." 

"I'm worried too." Bob smirked. "But you know Dot. If it doesn't impede business, then everything's fine." 

* * * 

Everything was not fine. 

Dot felt horrible and she had thrown up at least three times today. Presently, she sat on the floor in her office, right next to the door of the bathroom. Sometime earlier, she had realized this wasn't the ordinary case of the flu. There had to be something else. When that something finally dawned on her, she had sat down. She tried thinking back to when it could've...of course! 

It had started a few minutes before they got married, when they had taken their relationship further. After that, they really couldn't keep their hands off each other. They still couldn't, but at the time...if they could get away with it, they would certainly try. That's when Bob discovered he could enter the P.O. without anyone else knowing. 

_She had been working early in her office, trying to get things she had put off done. With her wedding coming up, meetings and business deals had been postponed until she had the time to actually get that stuff done. So far, everything was working out. She was so busy reading over some figures for the Diner, so when she felt a hand cover her mouth, she of course panicked._

_"Shhh." said a familiar, sexy voice in her ear. "It's just me."_

_Dot relaxed, knowing the voice and sprite it belonged to. Reaching up behind her, she ran her fingers through his no shortened hair ~it didn't take much persuading to get him to cut it short~ and sighed as her fiancé delivered little kisses to her neck. "I love your hair like this, you know."_

_"Anything to make you happy." Bob replied, not breaking the trail of kisses._

_Turning in his arms, she kissed him, as though they hadn't seen each other for hours. "I love it when you spend the night, Bob." she sighed, kissing his cheek._

_"Me too." he whispered._

_"Why don't you just move in?" she said, taking her turn making a trail along his neck._

_"Are you sure?"_

_Pulling back, she looked at him, a mischievous smile on her lips. "Remind me again as to where you were last night and the last couple of nights?"_

_Bob chuckled. "This is true."_

_"Come on." she said. "You can move in with us and give Matrix and AndrAIa your apartment. I know from fact Andri is going random in the P.O. Besides," she continued her enticing. "We are getting married soon."_

_"You're sure Enzo won't mind?" he asked._

_"Bob, he loves you." she stated. "So do I." She looked at him. "I love spending the night with you. I love waking up next to you. We can't go running back and forth between our places. Come stay with us."_

_"I got a lot of bad habits."_

_"Don't worry. I'll fix you." Bob laughed._

_"I bet you will."_

Dot smiled at the memory. Things were going the way they were supposed to be, but she still felt a pang of worry. Daemon was still out there and the last thing Bob needed was something else to worry about. And she couldn't lose Bob. Not again. She had lost him once and almost lost him again to the super virus. Even though it was just a feeling, Dot wasn't basic. 

She needed to see Phong to be sure. 

* * * 

"Okay, this is weird." 

Matrix, Bob, and Enzo found themselves on the final level of a game called Donkey Kong. The scenery was very drab, if not boring. Enzo looked around. This was so 8 bit! All the colors were fuzzy. It made him think of the Eliminator game he had played when he messed around with Mainframe's clockspeed. 

"Hey, isn't this game where we stop those monkeys flying in the air?" the boy asked, looking up at his older brother. 

"No, that was Donkey Kong Country." Matrix replied. The two of them had played that game a few cycles earlier. 

"This is classic Donkey Kong." Bob replied, looking down. 

They were on the very top of some platforms, with a couple of barrels on the other side of them. To their left was another, smaller platform. "You've played this before?" Matrix asked. 

"No," Bob said. "But I know the general rules. The User starts on the bottom ramp and works his way up. His job is to get his girlfriend. Our job, of course, is to stop him. We throw these barrels and they go down the ramps. The User has to avoid the barrels, obviously." 

"Cool." Enzo breathed. Bob knew so much about stuff. "So we just get rid of the User and we're back home right?" 

"Not quite, Kid." Matrix said, examining one of the barrels. "The User could have one or two lives or multiple lives. Anything can happen you know." 

"Normally, the User only has two lives," Bob replied, looking down at the boy by his side. "But I think with a cheat code he could get five, maybe more. It all depends on whatever things he's got going for him. I played this one game where the User just had to make a burger, right? Pretty simple, yeah? The game starts and we found out he not only had lives times infinity, but he had gravity shoes, which allowed him to walk outside of the short platforms. We almost missed him more times than I care to admit!" Looking over the side again, Bob could see the User. "Time to do it, guys." 

"Reboot!" 

Bob opened his eyes to find he was in the dark recesses of the top ramp, standing behind the barrels. "I guess I'm shoveling barrels." he muttered to himself. Hearing a loud roar of laughter, he looked out in the game filed. A large, brown ape was laughing hysterically and pointing. By the sheer size of the beast, Bob knew that had to be Matrix. Trying to find what the large sprite was laughing at though...he'd have to wait until Matrix moved. When he reached for a barrel, Bob finally got a look at what was so funny and why he couldn't find Enzo. 

Bob couldn't help but chuckle himself. 

On the smaller platform, stood Enzo. Dressed in a pink dress with a little red bow, the boy stood, hands on hips and scowling at his brother. Matrix was hurling barrels towards the User, who was trying to avoid them as they came rolling down the ramp. So far, he was doing pretty good, until he got up to the next to top ramp. He was soon squished. 

"You look so pretty, Enzo." Matrix laughed, wiping a couple of tears from his eyes. 

"If you tell anyone and I mean _anyone _about this, so help me..." 

* * * 

Dot sat nervously on the examining table, swinging her legs restlessly over the side. Every once in a while, she could be just as childish as Enzo and Matrix. It was really good to see those two getting along so well. She liked having two brothers and she knew both of them appreciated having the other around. It was good for both of them. 

Phong rolled back into the room, causing Dot to look up and stare at him. The old sprite just continued looking at a file in his hand, shaking his head, and smiling. He went over to a nearby table, had some of his trademark cocoa, and then whirled over to Dot. "I have good news, my daughter." he replied, handing her the file. Dot nodded, not bothering to look at it. 

"I already know, Phong." she sighed. 

"You...you did?" 

"Well...maybe not officially." She glanced at the file. Why couldn't this have been the flu? "But I kinda had a feeling it wasn't the flu." 

Phong nodded once. "I take it this is not pleasing news to you." 

"No!" she cried. "I mean, yes! I mean..." She struggled with a way to put it. "I'm totally happy, Phong, I really am. I couldn't be happier." 

"But...?" 

"But...I don't think this should be happening. I mean, it should, but..." she sighed and shook her head. "Daemon is still out there and still after Bob. I don't know what I'll do if I...if he...this is the perfect thing at the wrong time." 

The old sprite patted her knee affectionately. "If this is what you want, what you_ both _want, then why let something stand in your way?" he asked. 

"Phong, Daemon is still out there!" 

"Yes!" he exclaimed. "And so are viruses and web creatures and games." He looked up at her and smiled. "There will always be things that are there designed to hurt us, Dot. But to let them control our lives is the real wrong thing. We will be ready if she ever returns, but for now, enjoy the freedom we now at this moment." 

Dot smiled. "You're right, Phong." she said, hopping down. "I know this is something we want. We just have to go about things carefully, make sure we're okay." She gave the wise sprite a kiss on top of his head before leaving the room. 

Phong smiled happily. This was certainly good times now. Dot and Bob had recently been married and now...the wise sprite nodded. Just a big event was happening, something the system hadn't seen since the seconds of the Twin City. He too knew they only had a few moments of happiness before Daemon would come back for her messenger, but as he said, they needed to enjoy these seconds as they came. 

Even Daemon couldn't take that away. 

* * * 

In Bob's calculations, this was the User's last life. He gave the guy credit though. He was a persistent little guy. As Matrix threw more and more barrels, Bob handed him more and more barrels. Enzo paced like a caged tiger, anxiously awaiting when he would hear those two glorious words that would set him from this humiliation. Every time Matrix looked at him, he would laugh. It actually almost cost them their lives, but the User messed up big time and caused his own demise. Finally, Matrix threw his last barrel and the User saw it coming. 

**GAME OVER**

* * * 

Jason slammed his controller on the ground. That was the third time he had made it to the final level of Donkey Kong and had lost. It really bugged him. If DK wasn't his favorite Nintendo character, he soo wouldn't play this. The other levels seemed totally easy and he could beat those in his sleep, but that...always the final level, he just choked. Couldn't get the job done. And it was fast, too! Totally faster than the other levels. It just wasn't fair. How come he could only get five lives with the Game Genie, but stupid Donkey Kong got like a million something barrels. 

"Where_ does _he get all those barrels from?" he exclaimed in defeat. 

* * * 

"Not a word, you guys. You promised!" 

Matrix was still laughing at his younger self as the three entered Dot's Diner. The lunch crowd was thinning out, which meant the three guardians could have the place to themselves until Dot or someone else entered. "You know, I bet I could send a vid over to AndrAIa right about now." Matrix joked, sliding into the booth. 

"No!" Enzo exclaimed, pushing past Bob and jumping on the seat next to Matrix. "Please don't that. Please!" Matrix laughed as he playfully swatted Enzo away from him. 

Dot heard laughing and pleading coming from her favorite booth. Enzo and Matrix were hitting each other ~no surprise there~ and her wonderful husband stood next to them, watching and laughing. This was a scene Dot thought she would never see. The three best men to be in her life, laughing and enjoying life. She smiled and she walked towards them and gave Bob a hug from behind. 

"Hey." he said, turning slightly to see her. "You okay? You didn't look so good this morning." 

"Well...I'm still a little queasy, but I talked to Phong today, went to the M.U. and everything." she said, smiling up at him. 

"You're okay, right Sis?" Enzo questioned, he and Matrix stopping what they were doing when they heard Dot was in the medical unit. 

Dot giggled. "I'm fine." she said, trying to cover her laughter with a file in her hand. "Here." she said, handing it to Bob. 

"What's this file for?" he asked, watching as she started to walk away. All she did was give him once last smile before disappearing through the kitchen door. 

Bob watched her, confused, then looked down at the file. He read over the contents before doing a double take and reading them again. Looking up, he stared straight at the wall in front of him. He was going...Dot was having...he looked at the file again. He looked back up. Yes, it was true. He was going to be...Dot was having... 

Enzo looked at Bob, who had this vacant look on his face. He quickly snatched the file from the comatose guardian, only to have it stolen by Matrix. "Give me that." They both read the contents, then looked at each other in shocked surprise. They couldn't believe it. Bob and Dot...wow. They'd be uncles. That was so cool. 

"Hey, Bob did you know you were gonna be a...Bob?" 

Enzo turned, only to see that the blue guardian wasn't standing where he had been. Instead, he was laid out on the floor, completely unconscious. "Bob? Hey Bob?"   


**So she's having your baby. What can make a sprite float on air? What can make people lose their minds? What can ruin a three hour tour? Why, a couple of months of complaints and tears, an unexpected delivery, and a brand new baby. This is chapter two of the second arc.******

  


**Arc 2 - Chapter 2 - She's Having My Baby**

Bob couldn't believe it. 

He was going to be a father. 

Ever since Dot had told him a few seconds ago, he had been completely speechless. He wasn't even sure what happened in the Diner. He just remembered reading her chart, the file that told him they would be parents, and the next thing he knew, he was on the couch in their apartment. Apparently, he had fainted ~which soon started an argument between Enzo and Matrix. "Men don't faint." Matrix said. "They pass out."~ from shock. 

But he couldn't believe it. 

He was going to be a father. 

The thought elated and worried him all at the same time. Would he be a good father? He knew he didn't have a real claim on Enzo, but the kid was_ like _a son to him. Same with Matrix. No matter how big the renegade got, he would always be something more than just a friend to him. They were his boys._ Their _boys. He thought he'd be okay, but he was still worried. 

His father wasn't exactly in the picture anymore. The two hadn't talked for some time. Everything had really fallen apart when Bob's mother died. He knew how Enzo and Dot felt about losing a parent. Though they had lost both, Bob felt he had lost his parents too. His father wasn't exactly a kind, giving guy like he was. He supposed he inherited that from his mother. No, his father was stern, workaholic kind of guy. 

Not very loving either. 

Bob had sworn from a very early age he wouldn't be like his dad. Dads were supposed to love their sons, hug them and tell them how much they were loved. Bob never got that. So when the opportunity to go to the Academy arose, he was all for it. Loved the idea of traveling and meeting new people and seeing new systems. 

His father, on the other hand, didn't approve. 

_"Why would you want to waste your life doing something that won't last?" he had asked._

That had settled it. Bob left home to become a guardian. 

And he never heard from his father again. 

No. That was a lie. He had heard from him. 

Sometime in the middle of his second hour, he had gotten a call to come to Turbo's office. It wasn't just an email sent or anything. It came to him during class, that he had to leave in order to speak with Turbo. The looks he got from his classmates were chilling and scary. Not as scared as the look he had. Surely, the Prime Guardian didn't know about that panty raid the night before or his over night stay in one of the girl's rooms. He was racked with panic as he went down the halls towards Turbo's office. 

Sending word via the secretary, he was told to wait for a moment. Within a nano, he was allowed to enter. Bob swallowed hard. He had never been in the Prime Guardian's office before. Only cadets who had be especially bad got sent down here to have a word. He knew it. It was the panty raid. Maybe it was the super glue to Jason Game's seat last cycle._ That was it. That had to be it. _He stood by the door when Turbo looked up. 

_"Come in, Cadet." he said, in a thick Texas accent. "Have a seat, won't you?" He gestured towards a chair._

_Bob crept in and sat down in the seat._

_"Bob, I've called you in today because of something I want to get cleared up."_

_"I'm sorry, Sir!" he exclaimed, nearing tears. "I'm sorry for the panty raid!"_

_Turbo shook his head. "That's not it." he said. "I wanted to talk to you about your family. What panty raid?"_

_Bob quickly snapped out of it. Okay, there had been no mention of a panty raid, until he just blurted it out. "There was a panty raid?" he asked, feigning innocence. "I've heard nothing about it. What was that about my family?"_

_Turbo eyed the lad suspiciously, but none the less continued. "Bob, we got a message earlier today saying you would be having a visitor." he started. "Now, you know rules clearly state visitors are only scheduled for the open house, around breaks, and graduation, but he insisted he talk to you."_

_"I'm not sure I understand, sir."_

_"You rarely have." came a voice._

_Bob stiffened. He didn't think he'd be hearing that voice ever again. Not unless an "I'm sorry" ever came from it. A figure stepped from the darkened shadows where Bob hadn't even bothered to glance at. He was tall, thin, the same blue skin tone that his son exhibited. Turbo rose from his desk. "I assume you know this sprite, Cadet." he said, looking at Bob. He could see the boy was slightly torn, but mostly surprised._

_"I'm his father." came the reply. "Of course he knows me."_

_Walking around his desk to leave, the Prime put a hand on Bob's shoulder. "I'll be right outside if you need anything." Then he left._

_"I bet you think it's nice and cozy here, don't you?" he asked, walking around the chair his son sat. "Well, I let this go on far enough. I let you have your fun and everything else, but I refuse to let you become one of...**them.** As of this moment, you're coming home with me."_

_Bob wasn't sure he heard right. "Are you random?" he asked, realizing too late it was the wrong thing to say. His father glared at him, almost drilling holes through him. Bob cringed back in his chair, keeping his head down._

_"Back talk, huh?" he asked. "So that's what they're teaching you here. When will you learn? You are not one of them. You're nobody, Robert. You're irresponsible, you're slow, you're a slacker. And quite frankly, I don't want my good name being dragged through the mud. Now, get your things. We're leaving. I forbid you to stay here."_

_"You forbid me?" Bob asked, not believing his ears. He had finally found something he was good at, only to have it taken away from him. "You will never let me do what I want, will you, Dad? You can never be happy for me, not even once, can you?"_

_"Robert, I said get your things, we are leaving."_

_"No." he whispered._

_"What did you say?"_

_"I said no." This time, Bob stood up at looked at his father. Even though he was 1.4, going on 1.5, he could almost look his father in the eye. "The only person who's leaving this room is you. I like it here, Dad. I'm good at this."_

_"Stop fooling yourself." he spat. "They've got you and all these other kids in here believing that drivel as well. You belong at home and getting a real education. You can't be a guardian forever. What makes you think they're send you off to some system?"_

_"Anything's better than staying here with you."_

That had done it. Bob could still feel the sting of the slap on his cheek, even after all these hours. He looked over at Dot, sleeping peacefully. Sometimes he wondered what ever happened to the old man. He wondered if he would make the same mistakes and alienate his son from his life too. Bob smiled, watching Dot as she rested contentedly. That would never happen. Bob could be a good father. No. 

A great father. 

* * * 

Dot actually enjoyed being pregnant. 

She loved that all the binomes and the few sprites left wanted to stop and feel her stomach. She loved that Mouse and AndrAIa were already picking out names for girls and picking little dolls and dresses. They both wanted Dot to have a girl. They didn't think they could handle another Bob. Her brothers were worry nulls. They drove her crazy at least five times a second. 

"Are you cold?" 

"Do you want a drink?" 

"Do you feel sick?" 

"You wanna lie down?" 

And that had been as she entered her office. 

But she loved it none the less. And Bob. Her wonderful Bob. He was especially great. Even when she had yelled at him for leaving a shake ring on the table. Even when she had cried because her email had been late. Even when she thought she was fat and had cried because she thought he thought she was fat. He had always apologized and gave her a hug, which always made her cry harder because he was so sweet and she didn't deserve him. 

Bob for his part, went out of his way to make sure she was all right. Whatever she needed, he'd get her, no matter if it was getting up in the middle of the night for some data cream, he'd willingly oblige. The guardian was absolutely fascinated with the whole thing. A night didn't pass when his hand didn't skim her growing tummy. He was going to be a father any minute, any second. He lay next to her, hand absently drawing circles around what used to be her belly button. 

"Do you think I'll be a good father?" he asked. 

"I think you'll be a wonderful father." she replied, smiling. "You've already raised two sons. I think this should be old hat to you." 

"To both of us." he said, kissing her cheek. "It's pretty funny. This is our first child, but yet we've already had experience being parents." 

Dot rolled over on her back in order to look at him. "I wouldn't trade it for anything, I don't think." she said, tracing the outline of his jaw. "Are you scared?" 

"Terrified." he answered with a grin. "You?" 

"Petrified." she said, giggling a bit. "I'm still worried, Bob. Daemon's still out there and..." 

"Shh." he soothed, kissing her lightly. "Let's not worry about that now, all right? We'll get to it when it happens. I know you want to plan something, baby, but it's gotta wait. Nothing and I mean nothing is going to spoil the moment when you initialize my child. Not Daemon, not Megabyte, not even Hex is going to ruin that. It's about us now." He rubbed her stomach. 

"All three of us." 

* * * 

Enzo laid in bed, thinking. AndrAIa always said he thought too much, but he couldn't help it. He had so much on his processor lately. First, he was going to be an uncle. An uncle! That was so alphanumeric. If he thought having Bob for a brother in law was cool, having a little kid for a niece or nephew was more trilling. He couldn't stop thinking about it. There would finally be another little kid in the system besides him. 

And maybe it would like him. 

When Enzo had gotten the protocols from Bob, they had a heart to heart, including the "baby" talk. That was actually a minute before the guardian found out his wife was having one. So Enzo knew the process and how their baby had obviously gotten inside of his sister, but it was still weird to think of it. It was random to know one second he'd be the one with the pregnant wife and probably giving his son the same talk. 

That actually brought up a slight fear for the boy. What if Bob and Dot didn't want him after the baby was born? He wasn't their son or anything, they were going to have their own child. The three of them had sat down and discussed what would happen once the baby came and when Enzo left for the Academy. He still had another full hour left before he'd go, but that hour would be spent living with Matrix and AndrAIa. Right now the little apartment they shared wouldn't hold four people, so guess who had to go. 

Part of Enzo was excited. He loved Matrix and AndrAIa. The big guy finally popped the question and now they were getting married. And Matrix wanted him as best man. Living with them would be totally great. But another part of Enzo felt hurt by this. It was like Bob and Dot had practically thrown him out in favor of their_ own_ child. The kid wasn't even born yet and already Enzo was playing second fiddle. It was bad enough he was being ignored most of the time now. Everyone was so interested in Dot and the_ baby_. If he heard someone say something about that thing, he'd... 

Enzo shook his head clear. 

He was jealous. He was actually jealous. 

Something became ever so clear to the boy. He wasn't acting or behaving like an uncle at all. More like...an older brother who was feeling left out of the picture. It suddenly made sense why Matrix didn't hang around them in the beginnings of the restart. The big guy had been jealous. Of him! Enzo was now feeling what the renegade had felt. It had been him and Bob and Dot for the longest time and suddenly someone replaced him in his heart. And now Enzo was being replaced... 

No. Not replaced. 

Moved a little. 

The boy knew from experience Bob and Dot loved everyone and had room in their hearts for one more person. Besides, Enzo had to be the big brother now. If anything, Matrix's actions towards him had hurt more than anything and he certainly wouldn't put his little niece or nephew through that. The boy smiled. Matrix would be proud to know his baby brother had learned something from him. 

* * * 

"Do you think this is a good idea?" 

A group of sprites stood on the docks over in Kits sector. Dot had been planning on a family outing since before she found out she was pregnant and she was going to keep it. She had the idea noticing how shattered her friends and family had gotten during the war. She had talked to Gavin Capacitor about taking them on a nice cruise through the Net or something, that way they could relax and skim the systems at the same time. 

But, a bunch of stuff postponed it. 

And now, it just seemed like something fun to do. She and Bob had recently gotten married and now they were expecting their first child. Matrix and Enzo had finally seen eye to eye and were getting along like brothers would. Dot had originally planned the trip for the four of them, but upon learning she'd be getting a sister in law, she quickly added AndrAIa to roster. 

So now the five stood on the docks, waiting for the Saucy Wench to come into port. 

"Will you calm down?" Dot replied, glancing at her brother. "I'm perfectly fine." 

"But Dot, didn't Phong say you could be expecting any second now?" Bob asked, nervously. 

"Look," she said, standing with hands on hips. "I really am fine. Besides, who knows my body better than me? Not a word, you three." she said, pointing her finger at the trio, who had grins on their faces. "If a problem should arise, we'll come back okay? I've been planning this for a long time and you know how I hate when a plan doesn't work." 

The four nodded in comprehension. In the distance, a large ship came towards them, newly redecorated and looking like show room new. Three familiar sprites graced the mast head and the quintet knew the Saucy Wench had entered Mainframe. After sacrificing their ship, Dot had wanted to buy her business partner a new one, but Gavin refused, saying "payment needn't be for the price of friendship." Dot did, however, get any supply that Gavin and the crew needed in order to rebuild the former Mare. With help from Matrix, AndrAIa, and Mouse, the ship looked just as good as the old one, with better equipment and a stronger hold should they experience the Web again. 

In thanks, the faces of Dot, Mouse, and AndrAIa adorned the front of the ship. 

"Ahoy, Miss Matrix!" came the cry from the small binome, the ship pulling in to the harbor. 

"Ahoy, Captain." Bob replied, watching as the famous Crimson Binome made his way towards the sprites. 

"Let me look at all of ye." he said, standing back and peering at them. "Why, Enzo, ye be as tall as a bell tree!" Looking closely, he noticed the uniform on the lad. "And ye be a guardian!" 

"Not yet." the boy giggled. "But next hour, I will be. I'm going to the Academy. Can you believe it, Gavin?" 

"Oh man, don't get him started on_ that._" Matrix joked, rolling his eyes and giving his counterpart a brotherly shove. 

"Ah Matrix and the lovely AndrAIa." the captain kissed the game sprite's hand and noticed the small ring on her fourth finger. "Do my eyes trick me or is this an engagement ring?" 

"It's not a trick and yes, it's an engagement ring." AndrAIa said, taking her hand away and taking Matrix's in her own. 

"Well, glory be." the binome sighed, smiling at the couple. "Then a celebration it is!" 

He walked over to the guardian and leader of Mainframe and stopped short when he saw Dot. "Dot lass, now I remember ye being a bit smaller than ye are now." he said, a childish gleam in his eyes. Dot only giggled. She and Bob exchanged a loving look. "Then we'll have two celebrations!" the ex-pirate exclaimed. Looking at Enzo, he changed the order. "Forget that, Lads! It be three celebrations we're having!" 

A party given by the crew of the Crimson Binome is anything but stale. The party was still going as the ship rounded back for Mainframe. The sea air had made Dot a little, she thought, but the baby couldn't stop kicking. Smiling she had thought her son or daughter would be a pirate one second. Shaking her head, she deleted that thought. It wouldn't be so bad if they were in the crew of Capt. Capacitor._ No, that wouldn't be bad_, she thought. Things were going pretty good. 

Until Dot realized they could be in trouble. 

Bob had turned to look at his wife, who had a discomfort look on her face. "Something wrong, Dot?" he asked casually, drink still in hand. When she didn't reply, Bob started to get worried. "Dot, sweetie, what's wrong?" 

"Um..." she said, her voice shaking. 

Hearing that something was wrong with Dot, her two brothers and AndrAIa were over by her side in a microsecond. All three looked at Bob, then back at Dot, then back to Bob, who shrugged his shoulders, not knowing what was going on. "Dot?" Matrix asked. "Um...are you okay?" 

"Um..." Dot was really unsure what was wrong. Well, she knew something could be wrong, but she wasn't sure what. Then a sharp pain cause her to do an intake of breath. "Yeah." she said, nodding and reaching for the deck chair. "Yeah, something is definitely happening here." 

The four looked at her, their mouths hanging open. The three looked at Bob. Bob looked at the three. This couldn't be what they thought it was. "Okay, let's not panic." AndrAIa said, taking control of the situation. Sort of. "I'll go get Gavin and we'll make a call to Phong and the medical unit." She patted Bob on the shoulder and left for her task. 

"Okay." Bob said, also trying to be calm and rational. "I need you guys to help. I need blankets and water. We gotta make Dot as comfortable as possible." 

"Right." Matrix said, nodding. "What should we do?" 

With what was left of her strength, Dot slapped her brother on the shoulder. 

"Blankets. Water. Can you both handle that?" Bob said in annoyance. 

The boys nodded and left down below. Rushing to Dot, he helped get situated in the folding deck chair. Bob gave a silent thank you to the crew for keeping a deck chair on board. "Dot, sweetie," Bob said, kissing her head. "You're not in any pain, are you?" 

For a nano, the pain actually stopped, as if in complete awe that such a question could be asked. 

"No, Bob." she replied, sarcastically. "I've actually never been so comfortable. I can't think of a better way to get comfortable than to have something the size of a Mack truck drive out my..." 

"All right, all right!" the guardian pleaded, holding his hands up in defense. "I take it things could be a little smoother." 

Dot glared at him. 

"Okay, a lot smoother." 

AndrAIa rushed back, Gavin right behind her. "Okay," she told the couple. "It shouldn't take a long to get back to Mainframe, right, and Phong's sending us a medical unit to meet us and everything." 

"Really?" Bob asked. "Wow." 

"Yeah, I know." AndrAIa said. "I think I saw Mike somewhere in the background, so we might actually get on TV." 

"Whoa, no way!" 

"Yeah, that's what I said." 

"Excuse me!" Dot exclaimed. "I hate to be rude and interrupt your conversation, but I have a little problem here. You see, I've seemed to have gone into labor here, so if you two could possibly pull yourselves away from that riveting and oh so exciting bit of drivel, I could use a little help." 

"Right." both sprites said, taking positions behind the sprite. "Geez, I hope I'm not as cranky as Dot when I get pregnant." Andri whispered. 

"I heard that." 

Meanwhile, Matrix was running like a crazed lunatic through the bottom of the ship, a large bowl of water in his hands. How the large sprite managed to keep most of it in the bowl was a surprising task to say the least. He was coming up the stairs, about to say that the water was coming, when he tripped and fell, the water flying form the bowl and splashing on someone who had been waiting for him. 

Looking up, the renegade saw his younger self, drenched in water, the blankets he carried also getting slightly wet. "Oh, gee," Matrix said, sitting up on his knees in front of the small sprite. "I'm terribly sorry about that." Enzo nodded, taking what was left of the water in the bowl and dumping it over his brother's head. Smiling, he watched as water leaked down onto the sprite's shirt. 

"Guys!" AndrAIa exclaimed. 

"Full steam, Mr. Andrews!" the captain cried. 

The Saucy Wench was being put to the test. The pirates had only had her out once or twice, while doing honest trade with various systems. Luckily, expecting anything, the ship's speed had been increased, in case of a hasty retreat. Gavin had been a lot of things while at sea, but never a baby doctor. He was calm though, knew what to do if the situation ever presented itself. 

The Principal Office med unit stood waiting on the docks. They had gotten the very frantic vidwindow from Phong saying Dot Matrix had gone into labor and would be rushed back, hopefully before her child was to be born. As they waited, Mike the TV already had a crowd gathered around him as he reported the birth of Guardian Baby, Leader Lady as it happened live. The M.U. workers couldn't believe the set had given the story a ridiculous name like that. 

Finally, the Wench could be seen coming towards them at lightening speed. 

The units got ready. The crowd stood waiting. Mike looked himself over in a mirror. Hack and Slash were disperse to keep crowd control and the first guy they wanted back was Mike. Soon, the ship came to port and the M.Us rushed on board and smiled when they heard a small cry. 

* * * 

Bob stood and looked through the glass at the small bundle that laid in a crib just in front of him. He hadn't expected it would happen like this, certainly not on an outing and definitely not on the Saucy Wench. He could only smile though, looking down at the sleeping sprite. 

Christopher Robert Lan was the first sprite to be born in Mainframe since the seconds of the Twin City. 

Bob had been in Dot's room since they left the Wench and were taken to the medical unit. She had fallen asleep milliseconds ago, but he had stayed to make sure she was all right. He then made his way to the testing chamber turned nursery. Mainframe hadn't had a nursery in a very long time, so Christopher had been brought here. That way, family and friends could see the baby. 

He looked like his father. His skin was a little darker than Bob's but not by much and he had the same brown eyes and little streaks of silver in the little tuff of hair he had. The guardian couldn't believe it. He was now a father. His own father's image went briefly through his head and was gone again at the blink of an eye. Bob wondered if the sprite could be proud of him now, if the hours spent not knowing what was going on with his only son made him wish things were different. Bob sighed. 

No time for the past. Not when the future was bright ahead.   
****

**A brand new baby...a whole 'nother set of responsibilities and challenges. But as the saying goes, "It takes a village to raise a child". Can Mainframe handle the pressures of raising the first child since the Twin City? Welcome to chapter three of the arc.**

  


**Arc 2 - Chapter 3 - And Baby Makes Three**

_Wow._

_I mean like wow._

_It was unbelievable. There I was, floating around and playing bongos with my feet when the pushing started. I mean, actual pushing. How rude, huh? That's what I said. Well, I'm moving around, trying to get my position back when I see this light. Kinda like the light at the end of the tunnel, you know. Well, I start heading for the light._

_Big mistake._

_Before I knew it, I was being pulled and pushed at the same time. I tried to get back in. Man, I really did try. I was kicking and screaming, but no go. There I was, in the open. Goodbye placenta lunches, hello bright, cold Net. And it was bright. Too bright. Whatever that light was caused some severe damage, I know it. I was blind for like a second. And it was cold. Man, was it cold! And when I looked down, I was naked. Oh yeah, folks. Naked as naked could be. So I cried. It's one thing to be naked, but to be naked in front of people I don't know...well, yeah. I cried. Ain't no shame in it._

_Then I was wrapped in a blanket ~about time, too!~ and was handed over. I looked up and saw her. The Mom. In Baby 101, they teach you that the first person that'll actually hold you and keep you warm, is The Mom. The Mom's the one who carries you and keeps you safe until you enter the harshness of the outside. I looked at her. So this was mine. She's not too bad looking. I think she's greenish ~really how would I know. I was blinded by the light~ but green would be the color that she was. And she had these bright purple eyes. Later I would learn the color is violet. But she's pretty._

_And warm. Totally most important._

_And she was talking to me. I have no idea what she was saying, but she looked kind and caring when she did talk, so I just figured it was something nice about me. Like how she was sorry for pushing me out like that. Or that it was so cold. And how she had forgotten to bring some clothes so I wouldn't be naked. I'd thank her later, when I would be able to actually use words. But, hey. She was warm. And I think I feel asleep. Yeah. I think I did._

_So when I awoke later, I was all alone in some cage in a big room. Now Baby 101 says you should expect to be in a large room, in a cage, with other screaming babies. Well, not me. I think it's probably cause they felt bad about me being naked. Hey, I'm very self-conscious all right? Anyway, I was laying there, kinda sqirmin' when some blue guy came and blocked my view._

_The Dad._

_The Dad really doesn't do anything. Just stands there and looks. The Dad looked at me, goofy grin on his face. I guess I kinda look like him. I mean, my skin's blue and stuff, so it was a safe bet he was mine. Then some other people came around, lookin' goofy too. Family or friends or something. And they were waving at me and tapping on the glass. Where was the "no tapping on the glass" sign? I just shook my head._

_I was going to have a goofy family._

* * * 

Dot wasn't sure how long she'd been asleep, but when she woke up, Bob was right there. 

He was asleep, her hand in his, and the other propping up his head. She turned and kissed him on the nose. The guardian awoke and saw her. User, she was beautiful. She looked tired still and probably in some pain, but she was gorgeous. Bringing her hand to his lips, he kissed it, then kissed her gently on the lips. 

"Hey beautiful." he whispered. 

"Well, hello to you too." she said, a tired smile on her lips. 

"I'm so proud of you." 

"Huh, and all I had to did was initialize your child." Dot said, sarcastically. "Go figure." Bob just shook his head. "Have you seen him yet?" she asked. 

"Yeah." Bob sighed happily. "He's doing okay. I just came back from seeing him. Mouse and the others are waiting outside. They wanted to know..." 

"Hey Sugah!" came the exclamation from the door. 

Mouse's head was peeked through and you could see several other sprites behind her. Mouse entered, pushing back the others who wanted in as well. "No, get back. Get back, get back, get back!" She closed the door behind her and walked over to the bed. "And how're we feelin'?" 

"Sore." Dot complained. "But in the best of moods. What're you doing here? I thought you and Ray were out cruising the Net?" 

"You'd actually think I wouldn't be here to see you have a little critter?" Mouse chastised. "Well, I'm just hurt." 

"Accept my apologies." Dot giggled. "Have you seen him yet?" 

"I have." Mouse grinned. "A bunch of us sneaked up behind blue boy there. He certainly is a cutie, Dot." 

"Kinda like me?" Bob asked, a grin on his face. 

The girls looked at him. Then went back to their conversation. "Anyway, I'm hangin' around for a little while longer." Mouse said, taking a seat on the bed. "Just to make sure you're doin' okay." 

"Aw, Mouse, you don't have to do that." 

"I insist." the hacker replied, standing and walking to the door. "I wouldn't feel right if I went up and left ya with another blue boy on your hands." She winked at Bob. "The others are mighty anxious outside. Should I let the herd in?" 

"Go ahead, Mouse." Bob smiled. 

The hacker opened the door and called out, "Hey! Y'all that want to see the Mom and Pop, come on in!" She quickly jumped out of the way as five sprites ran through the door. 

* * * 

_Okay. So I'm hanging out in my little crib thing, right, when this little sprite comes over. He doesn't look like any of the sprites I've seen so far. He's like a cross between them and those little block people that have been looking after me. Anyway, this little sprite guy starts talking to me, as though I actually understand what he's saying. Then he picks me up and carries me out of the room._

_Weird, huh? So I'm thinking, "well it is almost feeding time." So we're heading over there right? Nope. I end up in some other room. But The Dad is there, so I guess I shouldn't be too worried. The little sprite hands me over and The Dad is holding me. Big surprise though. He's not clumsy or anything. He's pretty good. And I finally get a chance to see him up close. He has these scaly things on the side of his face. Okay, that's a little disheartening. I hope I don't get those. I wonder what they are anyway. But, he looks like an okay guy. He's smiling, so that's a good sign._

"Forgive me for bringing you here, Guardian." Phong replied, as he whirled over to a nearby table. 

"It's okay, Phong." Bob said, looking down at his son. "As long as Bobby's okay." 

The wise sprite chuckled. "You've given him a nickname already?" 

Bob walked over to the sprite and laid his son on the table. "Well..." he blushed. "It just came out. It's not his real name though. Something I might call him." 

_Whoa, now I'm upside down. What's up with that? Well, I guess I'm on my back, but it's like being upside down. I certainly can't move. I'm trying to turn over and hop down, but I can't. The body isn't working. Man, I can't wait til I upgrade to a new one. Baby 101 says when I get bigger, I get a new body. Awesome, huh? Oh geez. Where the heck are my manners? You're probably all wondering what in the Net Baby 101 is. Forgive me for skipping the beat. New stuff going on, you know?_

_Baby 101 is the class all new babies take before they're chosen to be born. I don't know how it works, it just does. Anyway, when a Mom and Dad are on the verge of having a baby, one of us is picked out and sent down to them. Like the stork I guess, but not as cliche. But before that time, we learn about stuff. Like The Moms and Dads. Those are the people who will take care of us until we can do it ourselves and even then we'll need them. The Moms are the ones that carry us and we tend to like them more. Duh, the provide the lunch and dinner specials. How can we not like them more?_

_The Dads are kinda like fodder. They don't do anything of importance really. Well, they help make us, so that's important, yeah? But after that, they don't anything. They are important though. They teach us about life, I guess. 101 said The Dads are important, though many are never around. While The Mom gives us food and nourishment, The Dad teaches us about the opposite sex ~whatever the heck that is~ they teach us about male sprites. How this works, again I have no idea, but apparently it's important for boys and girls. And..._

_Hey, hey, hey! What in the Sam Johnson is that?_

Phong brought over a stethoscope and began checking on little Christopher Lan. The baby whimpered at the coldness of the object, but Bob soothed the boy and he seemed to calm down. Phong looked at the boy for anything abnormal and nodded in satisfaction. "So he's okay?" Bob asked. 

"He appears to be fine, Guardian." Phong said, poking the little baby in the stomach. 

_Okay, that tickles._

"But you will need to bring him back once he gets older." 

"Right." Bob picked up the child and said goodbye to the wise sprite. "Hey, Bobby, wanna go see Mommy now?" 

_Huh?_

_Mommy? Who the..._

_Oh! The Mom person! Yeah, I want to see her! It's past feeding time!_

* * * 

A few cycles past with Dot and the baby still in the medical unit. It drove them both crazy. Bob, meanwhile, had a load of work to do. He had to get the nursery set up before they'd come home, while also getting some of Enzo's stuff moved into the second bedroom in Matrix and AndrAIa's apartment. After flipping a coin, it was decided to move Enzo's things into the apartment and then come back and set the nursery up. 

It didn't take long with the help of Matrix, Enzo, Hack and Slash before the move was complete. Before they got started on putting up the baby crib, Bob pulled Enzo aside. "Hey, Kiddo, got time for a break?" he asked. 

"Sure, Bob." the boy replied, following the Guardian outside into the hallway. "What's processing? I'm not in trouble, am I?" 

Bob laughed. "You're not in trouble." he said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I just wanted to talk before you moved in with Matrix. We'll miss you, you know." 

"Yeah, yeah." the boy said, looking down. 

Bob knelt down on one knee and looked the boy in the eye. "Thanks a lot for giving up your room for the baby, Enzo." he said. "It took a lot to do so. Some kids would've been mad about it, even jealous." 

Enzo laughed. "Well...I was a little. Jealous, I mean." 

"I know it feels like we're kicking you out to make room for Christopher, but we both love you. Our family won't really be complete without you there." 

Enzo looked at him. "Really, Bob?" he asked. "I mean, I was kinda worried, I mean with me leaving for the Academy next hour and..." 

"Hey, don't start thinking we'll forget about you!" Bob exclaimed, laughter in his voice. "You can't be replaced, Little Man. Dot and I will miss you like crazy. Don't think just cause you're over at Matrix's, you can't come over for dinner or something. Chris needs a big brother like you." 

Enzo was speechless. He had heard right, right? Their son needed a big brother like him? "Yes, I did say what I said." Bob replied, seeing the look on his face. "You're more than just a brother to Dot and more than my brother in law. Officially, yes, but in our hearts you're more than that. Come and hang out sometime, huh?" 

Enzo nodded and gave Bob a huge hug. He felt better, really better. He knew they wouldn't forget him, but hearing it, hearing Bob say they'd miss him and the family wouldn't be complete without him, made living with Matrix and AndrAIa less scary. It made leaving for the Academy less scary. He'd be okay. Besides, Bob said he could hang out with them. "Matrix and AndrAIa, too?" he asked. 

"Matrix and AndrAIa too." Bob said. "They're family too, right?" 

"Right." 

* * * 

_So this was home._

_I remember The Dad saying it would be. It was nice, cozy. Being in that hospital was boring. I mean real boring. Nothing to do, but squirm around and wait for feeding time. I love feeding time. Besides getting food, I get to know The Mom. She's real nice. She sings to me while I eat...man, this is nice I tell you. This baby thing, I mean. The definite side effect is unable to actually move, but I think I could live around it._

_Oh, I haven't told you about those goofy sprites I saw with The Dad after I was forced out. Well, apparently, I have "uncles". I have no idea what those are. Baby 101 only said family would be involved, no specifics. Well, these "uncle" guys...they look like The Mom. Green, I mean. There's this little one, he's bigger than me, but smaller than the biggest guy. He looks like a kid and he likes playing with me. He doesn't look like an "uncle". Maybe he's my brother. Maybe. He seems brotherly._

_Then there's the biggest "uncle". He's huge! He looks kinda tough and mean and stuff, but he's actually kinda nice. He gave me this bear that I put in my mouth. Not very tasty, but it was the thought that counted. But he has this shiny gold thing in his eye. I reached for it, trying to get it out ~he probably doesn't realize he has a shiny gold thing in his eye~ but he kept pulling away. Now, I ask you, how can I possibly save this 'uncle' guy from certain deletion if he keeps moving away from me? I mean really._

_Then I have these things called 'aunts'. Again, I have no idea what this means. The one 'aunt', oh wow. She's totally pretty. I'd love to have her feed me some second. And she's nice too. Apparently, she and the biggest 'uncle' are together. There was a shiny band on her finger, which I tried to grab, but she pulled away. I'm trying to help you, people! I know The Dad and The Mom have little bands like that. So maybe those two will have a baby. Cool. Then I'll have a...wait, I have to look this up. "Cousin". I guess that's what they're called._

_The other 'aunt' is too funny. She talks all funny and makes me laugh. She's a riot! And she has these silvery things on her hip. Man, these sprites and their jewelry! But anyway, she's a laugh-a-thon, I tell you. She's making these weird faces all the time and saying weird things. In fact, all these sprites say some weird stuff in this high pitched voice. Man, they crack me up. Then there was that little sprite guy, he looks pretty cool too. He's someone I want to hang out with. Every time he talks, it's like he's saying something important, interesting._

_Well, back to the story. I get home, right, and The Dad takes me and puts me a cage with bars. I guess it's so I don't walk away or something. I'm not leaving. I like it here. Well, I'm in this cage and The Dad starts making faces at me. Really funny faces. And I'm laughing. This guy is too funny. Hey, is it feeding time yet? I love feeding time. Sorry. I tend to get distracted easil...hey, what's this? Oh, that bear thing. It's fuzzy. Fuzz don't taste too good. Nope not at...ah, gee. There I go again. The only thing that really keeps me interested is feeding time._

_Mmmmm...milk._

_Wha? See? I just can't help myself. Whoa! Where we going now? Okay, The Dad just picked me up. Where are we going? Somewhere else. Oh, hey! There's The Mom! Yes! Feeding time! I love feeding time, I love feeding time, I love feeding time. Gimme, gimme, gimme! Yes! This girl is great. She's all warm. Did I mention she was nice, too? Yeah, I think I did. Well, she is. Hey, The Dad's staying. Okay, that's weird. Ah, who cares?_

_It's feeding time!_

* * * 

_Oh no._

_Oh geez._

_I'm wet._

_Hey! Somebody! I'm wet over here!_

_Why can't they hear me? Oh yeah. I don't talk. Ugh. What do I have do I get those guys to come over here? I'm wet! I'm really uncomfortable right now. Very very uncomfortable. Oh man. I need some help here! Think, kid, think! What did I do last time when I was wet? Um...oh! I remember. I cried. Yeah!_

The cry went out through the little apartment. Bob heard it first. Looking at Dot, he figured she needed the sleep and went up to tend to their new son. Walking tiredly into the small room, the blue guardian peered into the crib. 

_Whoa. The Dad. I'm starting to think 101 is wrong about this guy._

"Hey Bobby, what's wrong?" Bob asked quietly. "Something the matter?" 

_Yes! I'm wet! I'm feeling some slight discomfort. Help me!_

Bob picked the baby up and realized he was wet. "Don't worry, Little Man," he said, carrying the baby to the new changing table. "Daddy'll fix the problem." Bob had watched the nurses do this a couple of times, so he knew what to expect. Christopher cooed and squirmed as Bob changed the diaper. Picking him up, the guardian just stood, holding the baby in his arms. "You have no idea how happy you make me." he whispered. "You're gonna be a wonderful son, you know that? Huh? Do you know that?" 

Placing him back in the crib, Bob waited until the boy fell back to sleep before heading back to bed himself. 

* * * 

_No. I don't want that._

_Listen to me. I don't want that._

_I don't like spinach._

_Will you...look! What part of 'No, I do not like this stuff' are you not under..._

_Ugh! It's in my mouth!_

_Ewww! I've swallowed it!_

_Oh, you're going to pay for that. Just for that, I'm going to wake you up bright and early tomorrow. See if I don't._

Dot sat feeding Christopher at the table that morning. He was getting so big now. He had just learned how to crawl and now he couldn't be stopped. He'd go a mile a nano if someone didn't catch him. Now if only he would eat his spinach like a good boy. "Come on, Kitten," she said, sweetly. "Spinach is good for you. You want to grow up big and strong like Daddy, don't you?" 

_I'll get back to you on that._

Dot wiped his face before standing and getting rid of the baby food container. She actually loved staying home. Phong let her get to work late if she wanted, but Bob had to take the slack and come in early. She smiled. Poor Bob. She'd make it up to him later. 

She glanced down the hall out of habit. She was so used to having Enzo sluggishly coming into the kitchen for breakfast. She missed him. He was only a few sectors over, it wasn't like he was out of the system, but she still missed him. If he was still in the system, but not with her, imagine how she'd be when he left for the Academy next hour. She really hadn't been too big on letting him go, but she did have to agree with Bob. He was good. And he wanted to be a Guardian, just like Matrix had when he was younger. 

She looked over at Christopher, slapping his little table with his hands and bouncing up and down. She wondered if he would be a guardian some second. Maybe. It seemed to run in the family now. All the men in her life were guardians, it reasoned Christopher would too. Then she thought of her parents. She had been doing that lately, thinking of them. Every time she looked at Enzo or Matrix or Bob or the baby, she'd think of them. 

She wondered if they'd be proud of her. She knew they would be proud of Matrix and Enzo. She certainly was. The two had changed so much since the restart, much in part to the unusual circumstances with them being brothers. But they had helped each other. They would like Bob. No, they would love him. Her mother would, she knew that. They were alike, actually, always having fun and a good time. Enzo was like her. Her father would adore AndrAIa. And Mouse probably. Their technical know how would totally amaze him. And they'd be grandparents. 

She sighed. She missed them so much. 

Worse yet, she didn't think Enzo or Matrix remembered them much. They had been so small when the explosion happened. They had probably blocked the whole thing from their memory. No. That wasn't true. They had blocked their parents from their memory. It had left them with no friends their own age. It had been easy for Matrix. He had found AndrAIa, but when Enzo came back, he was left with no one. The new little sprites certainly weren't friendly enough to be around, so he just reverted to playing with Frisket or hanging out with them. 

_Uh oh._

_I hope I didn't make her mad with my playing._

_Oh boy. I think I did. She looks so sad. I'll play something for you, Mommy, don't worry._

_No. I don't think she wants that. Oh geez, I think she's going to cry. Hey! Mom! Don't cry. Mom..._

"Ma..." he said, holding his arms out to her. "Ma...ma." Dot turned at looked at him. 

_Hey! I talked. I said something! Hey Ma, did you hear that?_

_Oh, I guess you did. You okay?_

Dot couldn't believe it. 

His first word. 

"Oh sweetie." she said, picking the boy up and hugging him. Giving him a kiss, she said, "You said your first word. I'm so proud of you." 

_Hey, does this mean no more spinach?_

* * * 

_Hey._

_Oh my gosh._

_Look at this._

_I'm walking!_

_I'm actually walking!_

"Come on, Bobby." Bob said, holding his arms out to the boy. "Come to Daddy." 

_Well, I'm trying!_

_This is kinda new to me, you know._

"Go to Daddy, sweetie." 

_I'm getting there! Don't rush me!_

Bob grabbed the boy as soon as his hands could reach him. "You walked, Little Man!" he said, tossing the boy up and catching him. "Soon you won't want to stop." 

_Weee! Again!_

_Weeeee! Again!_

_ Whew! I love when he does that. Wow, this has been great. I'm a walker now. Isn't that cool? Soon, I'll be walking all over the place. This is totally great. We've been having some weird times lately. Like, something weird has been going on. All the adults and stuff have been looking sad lately. Don't ask me what's going on, I have no idea, but I know Mom and Dad have be awfully sad about it. I hope everyone's okay. I like all these sprites and stuff._

_Hopefully this'll make everyone feel better. I can walk. Oh yeah. Who's the man? Oh hey. I have some really big news. Remember those uncles and aunts I told you about? Well, the biggest one and the really pretty one are having a baby! Awesome, no? I don't really know how the baby got in there, but I know it'll be cool. I wonder what it is. A girl or boy, I mean. I've noticed they're totally different from each other. I mean, when I came, I got food from Mommy, right? I actually kinda miss that. You don't get spinach from Mommy. Anyway, I didn't get food from Daddy until I got bigger._

_And girls are prettier to look at. Boys are okay, but girls are just soft and warmer I think. Not that I don't love Daddy. Oh, he's the best. But he's not...I don't know. I guess it'll really make sense when I learn more words. I tried helping the biggest uncle again. Why the guy refuses help, I'll never understand. But I've noticed Daddy's got a cool looking circle on his chest. I've played around with that a few times, when it's just us. He tries to stop me when other people are around. Weird._

* * * 

_Now this is cool._

_I'm a 'cousin'._

_ We were all standing in this room with AndrAIa. That's the pretty aunt. She just had a girl. Sabrina, I think is the name. Nice though, huh? Anyway, we're standing in the room, right, looking at this baby. She's so small. I remember when I was that small. I'll have to tell her about crying. It's wonderful. Anyway, I was looking at her and something hit me. Where the heck did she come from?_

"Where'd the baby come from, Daddy?" Kit asked, turning to look at Bob. 

"From AndrAIa's tummy." Bob replied. 

The boy looked at the baby, then AndrAIa, then back at the baby. 

_What?_

_Are you telling me that thing was in her stomach?_

"Well, how did it get in there?" the little boy asked. 

_It was a simple question._

_But man, you should've seen the looks on faces. AndrAIa, Matrix ~that's the biggest uncle~, Enzo ~the little uncle~, and Mommy started laughing. And Dad? Oh man, I've never seen anyone turn red before. It was kinda weird. I wasn't sure if he was okay or not. He was sputtering and stuttering...just answer the question, Dad. What's so hard about a simple question? Yeah! You tell him, Mom! I asked** you** for the answer, no one else. Come on. You're The Dad. You know stuff. Let me in on the secret._

_So Dad takes me outside and starts explaining. It made no sense. Something about Mommies and Daddies loving each other and a baby being in the tummy._

"But how does the baby get_ inside _the tummy?" 

"I'm...I'm...I'm getting to that." Bob said. 

_Poor Dad. This must be too much for the guy to take. I should let him off the hook. He's looking pretty sad. A baby grows in the tummy? What? Now, how does that happen? Sorry, Pop, but you've lost me. I got up to the loving and the Mommies and Daddies, but after that, I'm gone. I'm shaking my head, looking at him. He's making no sense what so ever. Where is Mommy? I think she'd know a little more about this seeing as, apparently, I've been growing in her stomach. And that just doesn't make sense. If I'm growing in her stomach, how am I out here?_

"No, no." Bob replied, struggling with this whole topic. When he had told Enzo this story, it seemed much easier. "_You _are not growing in Mommy's tummy. You _came _from Mommy's tummy, okay? See, when Mommy and I wanted to have you, we...um..." 

_Where is Mommy?_

_I don't think I should let him suffer like this any more. It's just so sad._

"And then, you were made._ Inside _Mommy's tummy." Bob finished. "Do...do you understand now?" 

_I just couldn't make him go through that again._

"Yes, Daddy." the boy nodded, giving his father a hug. 

_Thank the User he understands, _Bob thought, returning the hug. 

_I have no idea what this man just told me. I've already forgotten it._

* * * 

_Wow._

_I'm really big now._

_Yep. I'm a big boy._

_And Enzo's back._

_ He came back yesterday. He's been at some academy thing. I don't know what it is, but I love it when he's at home. We hang out a lot. He is like a big brother. Like, with Matrix, I call him Uncle Matrix. But with Enzo, it's just Enzo. Sabrina, that's my cousin, she calls him Zo, only cause she can't say Enzo. And oddly enough, Matrix and AndrAIa call him that too. It's cause they have the same name. Matrix and Enzo I mean. Their first name is Enzo. Don't ask why that is._

_You know, I've been wondering about my grandparents. Mommy said they deleted. That means they died. That was really sad. It made Mommy sad, so I hugged her and told everything was okay cause I was there and she was there and that made me happy. She smiled and kissed me. I like when she does that. Anyway, they deleted. But apparently, Dad has parents too. But his mommy deleted when he was little. I don't think Mommy knew that cause she looked all surprised when she heard. And Dad said he didn't know where his daddy was._

_That kinda made me sad. I had a granddad, but no one knew where he was and it didn't look like Daddy liked him very much. I wonder why. I think Daddy's great. And everybody. They're great. I got to see Mouse today. That's my other other aunt. She's not related to us, but she and Mommy are really good friends, so she's kinda like family. But I love Mouse. She's too funny. Oh, and our dog. Frisket. I can ride on him. He's totally big, but he's friendly. At least to us. He's like a bodyguard._

_Things are always great when everyone's in the system. I really don't know why everyone keeps leaving. Something about a demon. No, Damon. Some guy named Damon. Yeah, I'm sure that's it. Anyway, Daddy and Matrix and everybody left a few cycles back to go fight him. I was kinda scared. So was Mommy. And I think Enzo had to go too. But I guess they beat him or something, which was cool, cause everybody came back. Mommy and Daddy were all kissy and stuff. Ick. I was over at Matrix and AndrAIa's for the night. It was cool though, like a big slumber party. Like I said, Enzo had come back and he usually stays with us, but he was over at Matrix and AndrAIa's. And we got to see Sabrina._

_She's so little._

_And squirmy. I remember when I was squirmy._

_But she's cute. She looks like AndrAIa, but has the same color eyes Mommy does. Violet. That's the name of the color. I said Matrix was a cool guy, remember? He looks all big and mean, but he's totally nice. You'd think a big guy like would be clumsy around kids, but he's not. Me, him, and Enzo are always having wrestling matches and AndrAIa thinks we're random and stuff, but it's always fun. Enzo's going to be grad...u...lating soon. I don't know what that means, but he'll get to stay in the system with us._

_ And he has a girlfriend. Well, he keeps telling Matrix and AndrAIa that she's not, but he gets all red whenever they mention her. I guess that's the person he'll have a baby with. Cause AndrAIa was Matrix's girlfriend when I was a baby, then a couple hours later, they had Sabrina. So I guess if I have a girlfriend, I'll have a baby. I guess that's how it works. But I don't really want a girlfriend. They're icky. Girls, I mean. Yeah, I know I said they were soft and warm, but that's only Mommys and aunts and stuff. Regular girls have cooties._

_Now cooties are scary._

_I heard from Peter Wynn that cooties was a terrible disease that made data cream taste like mud. And if a girl kissed you, your face would melt and you'd turn into a null. No lie! Peter said he saw it happen to Jeremy Riter. Little Cindy Lou Script kissed him and he melted right in front of Peter. And you know, no one of us have seen Jeremy since. True story._

_Anyway, like I said, I'm a big boy now._

_I get to sleep in a big boy's bed, kinda like the one Enzo sleeps in when he stays with us. Me and him get to share a room and it's cool. We play games on his organizer, then Mommy comes in and says we have to go to bed and that Enzo shouldn't be keeping me up late. So we turn the lights out and go to bed. But then Enzo throws a pillow at me and we get into pillow fights. That's always cool. I love Enzo. He's the best. He plays with me and everything. He and Matrix both. We went to the Data Slides the other second. And Daddy met us over there and we went on the biggest slide they have there. Then we went jet bowling. That's a cool sport. I love these guys. They never treat me like a kid. Sometimes they do, but they like being little kids too and that's why it's fun._

_I hope I grow up to be as cool as them one second._   
__ __

**The hours go by and soon, the baby is an adult. What will the decisions be for this young sprite out in the Net, pursuing his own paths? This is the final chapter in the second arc. Based on feedback I got with Memories Are Made of This, I decided to give those a glimpse into the future of Christopher "Kit" Lan.**

  


**Arc 2 - Chapter 4 - Future Decisions**

The young sprite sat reading the file he had gotten for his chemistry class. Nothing too hard, really. Something he could work on later tomorrow. He wanted to make sure all his homework was either finished or on the verge of finishing before he went back home. The young sprite was relatively tall, his legs stretched out in front of him as he leaned back in his chair. He was a medium blue, with short black hair, small silver streaks highlighted different strands of hair. A vidwindow appeared on the other side of him, the face of a young girl looking at him from the other side. 

"Why must you always do homework when I'm talking to you?" she asked, huffing and rolling her eyes. 

A pair of brown eyes looked up from the read-me. Christopher Lan gave his little sister a smile before going back to reading. "Because, my adorable baby sister, if I don't read this, I won't get any homework done." 

Phoenix Lan sighed and shook her head. Her brother always had his nose buried in a book. "Are you coming home soon?" she asked. 

Looking up again, Kit looked at her. She looked like their mother now. She was green skinned and had their mother's violet eyes. It seemed only the girls looked their mothers. His younger brother Jet was a cross between both parents. Bluish-green and dark brown eyes. But back to Nikki, as she wanted to be called. Her medium length hair was in a ponytail, like always and she seemed impatient for the answer. 

"Do you miss me?" he asked, a grin playing on his face. 

"Maybe." she said, before breaking into a smile. "Duh! Of course I miss you! Poor Jet can't pick on me all by himself." 

"My heart goes out to you." he replied, a bit of sarcasm in his voice. "I'm coming home soon. The Institute only allows a couple of vacations, but when they do, it's an extended amount of time." 

"Well, anyway, I just wanted to know." she said. "Mom and Dad are still at the P.O." 

"Naturally." 

"I think Jet's at choir practice and...I don't know where everyone else is." 

"Well, tell everyone I say Hi." Kit replied. His sister nodded and closed the connection. 

The young sprite stretched and put the read-me down. It would be nice coming home. He'd been away now for about six minutes. That had been how long he had seen his family last. He certainly did miss them, that was for sure, but he had an opportunity. He couldn't believe his parents had agreed to let him go to the Science Institute in the Super Computer. Since he was a kid, he wanted to be a scientist, especially after learning about his grandparents on his mother's side. They had been scientists too and the idea just appealed to him. Besides, he still had some family here. He knew his cousin Sabrina was at the Guardian Academy, so at least they were in town together. They didn't see much of each other like they had when they had first gotten there. 

They were both in their twenties now. Sabrina had stayed in the Academy to get some teaching experience, something that totally surprised them and their family. Sabrina had never been one to enjoy school, but to hear she wanted to teach, even for a little while, was incredible. Kit's schooling was different. Unlike the Guardian Academy, where the curriculum was only four hours, the Science Institute was an eight hour school. And even after graduation, you still had to internships at some of the best science research labs on the Net. So while Sabrina had been out of school since she was 1.7, Kit was still there at age 2.2. But it was worth it, absolutely worth it. 

The school was wonderful and not entirely geared towards the sciences. Yes, of course he had to take his required sciences, but he also had other requirements like mathematics and history, as well as his extracurricular activities, like music. His mother and uncles were wonderful singers and his father played guitar like it was nobody's business. It just seemed right that he should something along those lines. His brother Jet was very musical. Mom made all three children take piano. Kit and Nikki didn't really enjoy it, but Jet did. Nikki was a drummer, figured, since she liked to bang on stuff as a baby. Jet was instrumental, playing saxophone in band and singing tenor in choir. 

Kit looked around his dorm room. 

SI required all first and second hour students to have roommates, in order to get them settled in to the rigorous courses they'd be taking. Upper students had the choice of roommates or their own rooms. Kit picked a single. He'd had roommates since he was a kid. First with Enzo and then with Jet. Besides, his class schedule proved he would need study time and he could only study when it was quiet. It was nice though. He had a large bed in the corner, a desk with organizer and read-me files. He was able to pack the majority of his stuff with him and bring it here. It all reminded him of home. Speaking of which, they'd be starting vacation next cycle. 

Because of the work load, the school had class sessions for seven minutes and then a two minute break. Then classes would start up again for another seven minutes and then a three minute break. This was so students wouldn't get so boggled down with all the homework and research papers they would have to do. And it enabled them to spend more time with their families to make up for the half an hour school session. Kit smiled. This break would be different. Yes, he'd be with his family, but he was bringing something else with him. 

Some_one _else. 

Speaking of that someone else, Kit stood and left, going in search of her. 

Walking down the hall towards the lab, he knew she'd be there. Usually was, working on stuff for her last research paper of the quarter. He liked it here. Each dormitory had its own lab, where students could work on their homework with tutors and stuff. The upper classmen labs had more equipment in order to prepare those quarter research papers. At the end of every quarter, the upper students had a huge research paper due for their technology class, a class that was taken every quarter until graduation for the upper classmen. And of course, when he walked into the lab, it was empty except for her. 

She was sitting on the stool, hunched over looking into a microscope. Her red hair was pulled up in a bun and she wore a lab coat that exposed a bit of her pale yellow skin. Kit stood by the door, watching as she would look, then type something in her organizer, then look again. She reminded him of his mother, very workaholic, liked to get things done. That's what attracted him to her, her drive for perfection in everything she did. He hoped his mother would like her. They had been dating for a little over two hours and Kit knew he wanted her in his life. 

Coming up behind her, he started to massage her shoulders. 

"You could give someone a heart attack like that, you know." she said, trying to be bitter and hiding a smile. 

"Sorry." he said, kissing her temple. "You really should take a break, Dani." 

Danielle Avery turned to look at her boyfriend. Green eyes told him that she'd been in there for quiet some time because they looked very tired. They both had been working on their research projects, Kit was actually almost finished and decided to do the majority of work while at home. "If I take a break, especially if you're in here, I'll never get back to work." she said, pushing a strand of hair out her eyes. 

"If you take a break, I promise I won't bother you." 

"Liar." she said, entwining her fingers behind his head and bringing it down for a kiss. Breaking it, she asked, "What brings you down here?" 

"You know I'm going back home for break." he said. 

"Yes, I do." she replied, nodding. "And I'll miss you like crazy." 

"Well," he said, taking her hand and leading her over to a nearby couch and sitting. "You might not have to miss me." 

"What're you talking about?" 

"I love you, Dani. I really do." 

"I love you." she laughed, searching his face for some explanation. "What are you trying to tell me, Kit? Just tell me." 

"I want you to come home with me." 

Dani looked at him for a few micros, processing what he had asked her. "You want me to come home with you?" she asked. He took both of her hands in his and nodded. "You mean to meet your family and stuff?" 

"Everybody." he said. "My brother, my sister, my mom, my dad, my uncles, my aunts, everyone. I want you to come to Mainframe with me." 

She shook her head. She couldn't believe it. Didn't that signal something? Wasn't that the cue that a guy would get down on his knees and pop the question? She wasn't sure if she was ready. Wouldn't that interfere with their schooling? She was going to say no, when a "Are you sure you want me to go?" was uttered first. Kit leaned over and kissed her. 

"Yes, I want you to go." he whispered. "I want you to meet everybody." 

"You know I can't stay for the entire three minutes." 

"I know." he said, brushing her cheek with his fingers. "Just for a few cycles at best, just to get to know everybody. I want them to meet you." 

Dani sighed, a nagging thought in the back of her mind. "Mainframe, here I come." 

* * * 

"No. Absolutely not." 

Roscoe Bettyoskin couldn't believe it. He'd refused. That's what he would do, totally refuse. He'd have extra teaching duty if he did this. And not that he didn't like his classes and the students, but he had other things to do as well. He was planning on cleaning out his garage this cycle. He shook his head again. "No way." 

"Roscoe." Sabrina said, a pleading look in her eyes. "Roscoe. Roscoe. Please? I'll only be gone for like a minute, maybe less." 

"A minute?" Roscoe exclaimed. "Forget it! That's nuts!" 

"Come on, man!" Sabrina cried. "I'd like to see my family, you know?" Putting her arms around him, she smiled sweetly. "Please Roscoe. I promise we'll go out when I come back." 

"Ha!" The young guardian scoffed. "I know this trick. Well, you're not getting me this time, Sabrina Matrix. I wonder how many other saps you have falling to their knees." 

"Three hundred twenty-five." she replied. "If you're keeping count." 

Roscoe rolled his eyes. If he didn't love her so much, he wouldn't even bother with her. "And I'm supposed to be 326?" he asked. "No way, Bri. I'm not covering your classes. Besides, I don't know anything about game sprites. I don't even_ know _a game sprite!" 

"You know me, don't you?" Sabrina said, some what insulted. 

"You're not a game sprite." Roscoe said matter of factly. 

"I'm part game sprite." The girl countered. "Come on. Cover my class for a cycle. Maybe two. I just want to go home for a bit." 

The young sprite sighed. "Look, go talk to Laser or something and find out if you can have class on hold until then." he said, relaxing in her embrace. "But only for a cycle or two! You know how he hates when teachers go on leave. And I want my date." 

"You'll get that," She leaned in for a deep kiss. "And much more." She headed for the door, when Roscoe stopped her. 

"Hey, be careful all right?" he said. "Rumors are going around about Web Creatures in the Net. Watch your back, Bri." 

"You know," she said, taking both of his hands in hers. "For someone who isn't my boyfriend, you seem to worry about me a lot." 

Roscoe shrugged. "It comes with knowing you, I guess." he joked. Pulling her closer, he asked, "Who says I'm not your boyfriend?" 

"Well, I don't believe I've..." A well delivered kiss stopped her sentence. She sighed happily. "Not that I wouldn't want that to occur." She smiled and hugged him. "Look, we'll talk when I get back huh?" Giving him a last kiss on the cheek, she headed out the door. "Try not to miss me too much." she said, her voice lingering in the hallway. 

"I already do." he whispered. 

* * * 

"So what's Mainframe like?" 

Dani and Kit were making their way on to a Net to Net ship, a large barge that took sprites and binomes to different places on the Net. This one was extra special. It was driven by a search engine named Maxine, who had been entrusted with the addresses of certain systems that wanted to remain hidden from the larger addresses and systems. One of those systems was Mainframe. 

"I've told you about Mainframe." Kit said, pulling his pass from his pocket. 

"I know, but I like hearing about it." 

"Okay." he said, smiling at her. "It's really the best place you could grow up. Even with the problems we've gone through, we've always survived and managed to make it through. My mom's the Command.Com, has been since before I was initialized. Phong, that's the former DotCom, he's the system's administrator. He's getting up in hours, but he's the best. He tells you things in riddles and codes. Sometimes you get it and sometimes you don't. Then there's our guardian situation." 

The two reached the head of the line and Kit gave Maxine a big hug. "I almost didn't recognize you." she said, standing back and looking at the boy, who was now a man. "Going home I see." She looked over at Dani and smiled. "And who is this?" 

"This is my girlfriend, Danielle Avery." Kit introduced, wrapping an arm around Dani's shoulders. "Dani, this is Maxine." 

The two women shook hands. "Please to meet you." the search engine replied, handing the passes back. "On the house, you know that, Kit." Kit smiled and winked at her, leading Dani over to two seats near the back, where they could talk in private. 

"Where was I?" he asked. 

"Your guardian situation." 

"Right. My dad's a guardian. So are both my uncles, one of my aunts, and my cousin Sabrina. You've met her." 

Dani giggled at the memory. "Yes, I remember now." The three had run into each at the mall and Sabrina proceeded to tell embarrassing stories about Kit to her. 

Kit scowled. "I still owe her for that." he muttered. "Anyway, my dad's a guardian. He's kinda like the head guardian in the system. My Uncle Matrix is the other one, but he's Chief of Security. He oversees all of the CPUs and stuff. His wife, my aunt AndrAIa, is the system engineer. She's all technical and stuff. She learned that from Mouse, that's my aunt by right, not relation." Seeing the confused look on her face, Kit elaborated. "She's a friend of the family. She and my mom are really close. Mouse is a hacker, the best in the biz. And now, so are Andri and Enzo. Enzo's my other uncle, but he doesn't seem like it. He's more like my big brother. We're really close. But he's a guardian too. So's his wife, Alex. My third aunt. They went to the Academy together. They have a son, Jimmy. He's named after my grandfather. Um...of course, there's Sabrina. She's like the annoying sister I never wanted. But I love her cause she's family. She's a guardian too, but she's teaching at the Academy. Totally weird. I think if we didn't have like four guardians in the system, she'd be there too." 

He stopped his story as Maxine read off some instructions as to where they were headed and how long they would be. She also made a mention as to sickness and NOT to throw up. If anyone had that problem, that was what the little bags were for. Kit smiled, shaking his head. Same old Maxine. As the ship started up, he got back to his story. 

"Um...there's my sister Nikki and my brother Jet. They're still in school of course. Um...oh! There's Ray. He's a search engine like Maxine, but he's a web surfer. That's he's domain. He and Mouse have been dating for like ever. No matter what we say or do, those two refuse to get married. Rumor has it, they already are and they have children hidden somewhere in the Web where only they can see them." Dani laughed. "I think we started that rumor." he chuckled. "I'm sure Enzo had some help in that. Um...oh. There's Chip, he's my other cousin. That's Sabrina's brother. He's technical and stuff too, like AndrAIa. If he went into hacking, no big surprise there. He's like Matrix. Tough on the out side, sweet on the inside. And then there's Cecil. He's the waiter at our Diner. He kinda runs it cause Mom's obviously busy with other stuff. He's a pain sometimes, I tell you. 'Vait at ze bar! Vait at ze bar!' he's always saying that. To us even! And the Diner is practically a family business! Um...I know I'm forgetting...of course. Frisket. That's our dog. Same deal with him as with Matrix and Chip. He's a total puppy when you get to know him. We've been worried about him lately though. He doesn't have the same drive as before. I hope he's okay." 

"He's fine, I'm sure." she said, hugging him. "You certainly have a lot of friends and family." 

"Yeah." he smiled. "I haven't mentioned the pirates. Totally long story, but I'll tell you that later. I think that's it though. But I think you'll like it. I want to show you the whole system." 

"I hope I can remember everybody." Dani sighed. There were certainly a lot of people to get to know. 

"It's easy." Kit said, bringing her close. "Don't worry. I know it seems like I want you to meet half the system, but it'll be easy. You'll love everyone and they'll love you. Just like me." 

"Have you told them about me?" 

"Yes." he whispered. "I told them I was bringing you with me this time, so they could meet you." 

Dani couldn't hide the blush or grin that came to her face. "What...um...what did they say?" 

"Well, Sabrina hit me for not telling her I had a girlfriend." Kit laughed. "But Mom and Dad do want to meet you. I totally want you to meet them." 

"I'm looking forward to it." Dani said. 

In a way, she was looking forward to it. She heard so much about these sprites that were in Kit's life and it was a big step meeting your boyfriend's parents. But on the other hand, she was terrified. What if they didn't like her? What if they didn't want Kit to see her anymore? Would he dump her? These people meant so much to him and she felt weird intruding on that. The way Kit talked, they were all so close. He didn't treat his uncle like an uncle, but a brother! She had seen how he and Sabrina had acted when they were together, like sister and brother. And this was his cousin! She wanted to feel that closeness, but didn't want to interfere with their already happy relationship. 

She hoped they would like her. 

* * * 

It was slightly late and getting later as Dot worked in her office. She was trying to get a little work done, but her mind kept drifting to Kit. He had called her early in the semester, saying he wanted to bring someone with him when he came back. The look in his eyes told her he had found someone very special at the Science Institute. 

It had been hard sending him away, knowing he'd be gone for eight hours, not like the four that kept Enzo and Sabrina at the Academy. But it was his dream and she wanted him to succeed, no matter what. He was good at science, very good. His first job had been working over in the Principal Office's lab with the other scientists. It's what he wanted to do. His grandparents would've been proud. They would've loved him so much. And now...he was bringing someone with him. 

A girl. 

Someone special, she could tell as he told her. Danielle Avey. What a pretty name. She and Bob were excited about meeting her. If she was special, they could be looking at a daughter in law. Dot sighed. Her little baby. It wasn't like she hadn't gone through this before. She had. Twice now. With Matrix, then with Enzo. Yes, Alex and AndrAIa were sister in laws, but for Dot they were more. Because Matrix and Enzo weren't just her brothers. 

They were her babies too. 

But she guessed this had to be different technically. Christopher was her first initialized and now he was all compiled up. He was heading out, making a name for himself and about to start a family. Dot knew she was on the verge of tears. What had gotten into her? She seemed to be so weepy in the recent hours. She shook her head, able to regain her composure. She'd have to arrange some accommodations. Their apartment was out, as was Matrix's, and Enzo's. She guessed she'd arrange for two apartments in Baudway, maybe Beverly Hills. She had just done another business deal with John Mitchell, Mr. Mitchell's son, and in thanks, he had given her access to any of the rooms at the Mitchell Arms Hotel. Nodding, Dot sighed. 

Well, that had been easy. 

Now, back to her baby. Her baby and his girlfriend. She wondered how serious they were. Obviously serious enough for him to bring her home to meet everyone. From what she knew, she liked the girl. She was bright, intelligent, a hard worker...she hoped what she had heard matched the sprite she would meet in person. Would she like her? Dot hoped so. If Kit was truly serious and he wanted to marry the girl, the last thing that should happen was a typical in-law situation. Dot didn't want that. She sighed again. 

A girl. 

Kit now had someone else to make breakfast and have lunch with him, someone else to confide in, someone else to tuck him at night...Dot blinked. She certainly hoped not. Yes, he was 2.2, but he was still a baby. At least her baby. He really could do anything he wanted. He was an adult after all, but that just made her cringe a little. They had a lot of that in this family. Unmarried merging. She was to blame too, no doubt. But still, she hoped the two would wait. _Were_ waiting. 

A girl. 

Kit had someone else now. 

He didn't need his old mother. 

* * * 

"So, Kit's got a girlfriend, huh?" 

The four should've been working, doing something productive, but news that Kit was bringing home a girl had stopped almost all work in Mainframe. Mike the TV had been doing a cover story on the event all cycle. "Yep." AndrAIa said, spinning her chair around. "And she's coming here." 

"Dude, no way!" Enzo exclaimed, in an excited, but hushed whisper. "Does Dot know?" 

"Duh!" His wife said, rolling her eyes. "This is her son." 

"They were like the first to know, Basic." Matrix chastised, kicking the wheels on Enzo's chair. 

"Well, if they were the first to know, how did_ you _find out?" The young guardian asked. 

"Hello." AndrAIa said, also taking a turn at kicking the young sprite's chair. "We have connections." 

"Ain't nothing bad about having a teenaged son." Matrix replied. 

"Oh, you mean that juvenile delinquent of yours?" Alex asked, grinning at the big sprite. 

"Hey." 

Too late. Enzo started laughing at the comment and seeing the look on his brother's face made him laugh even harder. That earned another kick. "Hey, man, stop kicking my chair!" he exclaimed, shoving his brother away. The girls rolled their eyes simultaneously. No matter how old the two got, they would always act like little kids. 

"Back to the topic at hand," AndrAIa replied, trying to bring the conversation back around. "What do you think's gonna happen?" 

"You mean when Kit comes back?" Enzo asked. "Who knows? It depends on the girl he's bringing. Everyone heard about that?" 

"I hear it's serious." Matrix said. 

"You mean..." Enzo gave him a look. 

"No!" Matrix cried, a disgusted look coming to his face. "I don't know, pervert!" 

"That's not what I'm talking about." Enzo defended. "But as long as you mention it..." 

"Let's not go there." Alex demanded. 

"Why is that automatically the first thing you too think of?" AndrAIa asked, exasperated. 

"I didn't think of it!" Matrix said. He then pointed at Enzo. "He did!" 

"Anyway," Alex sighed. Those two! "It's serious. How serious?" 

"Dot and Bob could be looking at a daughter in law." AndrAIa said, turning back to her console. 

"Really?" Alex asked. The game sprite only nodded. 

"Wow." Enzo said. 

"Yeah." Matrix said, sarcastically. "Dot's just gonna_ love _that." 

* * * 

The closer they got to Mainframe, the sicker Dani became. 

She didn't know if she could remember everybody, names, relationship to Kit...it was a lot. He had a brother and sister by relation, but he had like four brothers and three sisters in theory. Not to mention his parents, his aunts, his uncles, everyone who meant anything to him...they would be there, waiting to see the girl who may one second become Mrs. Christopher Lan. No. Dr. Christopher Lan and his wife, Dr. Danielle Avery-Lan. Much better. She was truly making herself sick. 

She wanted them to like her, think that Kit had picked a wonderful girl to be with. She was an only child, so she didn't know what it was like to have brothers and sisters and uncles and cousins. It was just her and her parents. They had been only children too. Her grandparents had deleted soon after she was born. She wanted to be apart of this big family, even if she and Kit ended their relationship. Dani hoped that wouldn't happen, but could live if it ever did. 

Kit was asleep beside her, his head resting on her shoulder. He looked so peaceful. This was easy for him. He was going back home, to the people he loved. She, was a nervous wreck. She wanted to make a good impression but still be herself, but how was she going to do that? What if they didn't like her?? She looked at the little bag that sat in front of her. Using it looked like a good idea now. 

* * * 

It was mayhem at the Principal Office. 

Mike the TV had alerted everyone in Mainframe to the arrival of Kit Lan and his girlfriend. So now, instead of having an intimate family gathering, the whole system was in the ship bay in the P.O. Bob shook his head. He didn't know how Mike got the story, but he was certainly going to get that tape once everything settled. The murmuring and talking soon dwindled as Phong came out. "There is someone coming." he said, rolling over to Dot, rather slowly some noted. "I have given clearance." Lo and behold, a ship did come through a small portal and landed in the port where everyone stood. 

All was quiet as the doors opened. 

"Ta da!" Sabrina exclaimed, standing in the doors, her arms outstretched. "Mike, a camera crew?" she asked, walking down the ramp past the little set. "That's so sweet. You shouldn't have. Hey everybody! It's me!" 

"What're you doing here?" Matrix demanded, more out of shock than anger. 

"I'm fine, Dad, thanks." came the retort. "I missed you too. Duh! I'm here on vacation! I wanted to see you guys! Though, you really didn't have to go through the trouble for calling out the whole city. You guys are too much. But one question still alludes me here. How'd you know I was coming?" 

"We didn't" Chip Matrix sneered. "And this isn't for you." 

"Thank you very much, Captain Oblivious." Sabrina mocked. "I kinda figured. So what's up with this?" 

"It's for Kit." Dot replied. 

"Kit?" Sabrina asked, slightly surprised. She didn't know he was coming. "Why does he get all the celebration stuff?" 

"Cause he's bringing a girl home." Enzo replied. 

"Oh, Dani's coming?" She liked Kit's girlfriend. Nice kid. 

"You know her?" asked several people at once. 

"Um...yeah." she said, backing away from the mob. "We do live in the same city. We kinda run into each other sometimes." 

"Well, what's she like?" Alex asked. 

Sabrina opened her mouth to say something, then thought better of it. Why spoil it? "Why spoil the surprise?" she giggled. "Why not let you guys experience her for yourselves?" 

"What does that mean?" Bob asked. 

"It means nothing, Uncle Bob!" she chuckled, putting her hands up in defense. "I mean, why spoil it for you, that's all." 

She just couldn't help but laugh at the looks she was getting. She guessed she didn't put that right. They now thought Dani was a sprite with three eyes or four arms or something. They were getting worried over nothing. But this was certainly surprising. This could be something serious. She had met Dani a couple of times and they had double dated once or twice. Dani was a good girl and a perfect match with Kit. Bringing her home to meet everyone could only signal one thing. 

Sabrina smiled. 

* * * 

They were here. 

Mainframe. 

Kit felt relieved. 

Dani felt sick. 

As they looked out the small windows, Dani saw all these people she didn't know, looking up at the ship. She gulped. She totally forgot everything Kit had told her about his family. Every little detail, every uncle, every aunt, every close friend, gone. All gone. Kit, on the other hand, was slightly upset that half of Mainframe was waiting for them. When he saw Mike, he knew the reason why. Moving up to the front, he waited for Maxine to stop the ship before stepping out. 

"Good evening, Ladies and Gentlemen!" Mike announced, turning towards his camera crew. "This is Mike the TV with a Mike Show exclusive. We are here in the Principal Office ship bay, where Christopher Lan, the son of our guardian and beloved leader, is standing on this very ship. In a few nanos, we hope to get a glimpse of his girlfriend. Kit," the TV said, turning his mic towards the young sprite. "All of Mainframe wants to know. Where is she?" 

"Mike!" Kit exclaimed, trying to hold his temper in check. "What in the Great Norton are you doing?" 

"We've all turned out to see the girl that could some second be Mrs. Christopher Lan." Mike said, excitedly. "Now, where is she?" 

Kit looked at the small TV and smiled. "Gee, Mike, I guess you haven't heard." he said, sending a wink over to his family. 

"Heard what?" the set asked. 

"I deleted her." he said, as calm as possible. Seeing the stunned looks on some of the crowd's faces and those that were trying to hold their laughter in, he continued. "Yep. Deleted her. Chopped her up, served her to the students in the Guardian Academy." 

"He's right, Mike." Sabrina said, slinging an arm around her cousin's shoulder. "I helped him do it. I even got my brother to help. You remember my brother, Chip, don't you Mike?" 

Mike gulped. He remembered Chip perfectly well and Sabrina. Both Matrix children had taken him apart one time or another. He turned back to the camera. "Well, you heard it here, folks." he said, some what startled. "Kit Lan, homicidal maniac or mercy killer? You be the judge." Signaling the end of his broadcast, he looked at the two. "This interferes with my journalistic integrity." he said. 

"That's why it's so fun." Sabrina joked, giving the set a sadistic smile. 

"All right." he said. "I'm leaving. But don't think I'm not going to find out about this. The news has ears, you know." 

The little set left, being followed by the rest of those who thought they had come for a show. Only the important people remained. Sabrina laughed as she went into the ship to get Dani. Kit came down and gave his mother a hug. 

"That was horrible, Christopher." she said, suppressing a grin and a laugh. 

"I know, I know." he said. "But you should've seen his face when we mentioned Chip." 

"Hey, I do know my electronics." the teenager nodded. 

Hugs went around to each family member he had missed in those seven minutes. It was so good to be home. He never truly knew how much he missed it until he came back. He stood back when he saw everyone's gaze turned towards the ship. On top, Sabrina stood talking to Maxine, with Dani standing with her. "Is that her?" Dot whispered, eyes still gazing at the sprite that had taken her son's heart. Kit nodded. 

"Do you want to meet her?" he asked. 

"No." Nikki retorted. "We'd much rather stand here, gawking at her all second. It's not like I have school tomorrow." 

"You can meet her." Kit replied, smiling at his parents. He then pointed at his sister. "But not you. Now, go away." Nikki managed to glare at him as he walked back to the barge. The three stepped off the ship, waved goodbye to Maxine, who waved back at everyone before starting the ship and heading back on her route. 

The moment had come. 

Dani had never been so nervous in her life. They walked up to two sprites Dani figured were his parents. The leaders of his home system. It almost like being in the presence of royalty. She wasn't sure if she should curtsey or kiss their hands. Nothing was said, until she felt Kit take her hand. 

"Mom, Dad." he said, addressing his parents and turning to look at her. "This is Dani." 

"How do you do?" she said, holding her hand. 

Bob took it. "It's finally nice to meet you, Dani." 

Dot was next. "We've really heard a lot about you." 

"Likewise." she said. She wasn't sure what to call her. Kit said most everyone called her Miss Matrix, but her married name was obviously Lan. But at least she was able to breath now. 

"Okay," Kit said, drawing her over to the line of relatives she had heard about. "This is the hard part. Straight down the line. Ready? This is my sister, Nikki, the brat. My brother Jet, the baby. My delinquent cousin, Chip, his parents, my aunt and uncle, Matrix and AndrAIa. Enzo and Alex, who are without Jimmy at the moment. No wonder it's so quiet in here. Mouse, making a rare appearance in Mainframe, Phong, our system administrator, shrink, and all around advice giver, and of course, you've met Sabrina." 

Applause came from Sabrina herself. "That was beautiful," she said, wiping a non-existent tear from her eye. "I was moved." 

"You can ignore Sabrina." he said. "I usually do." 

* * * 

Dani lay awake in her hotel room. 

She was still so excited. 

She had be excited and scared all second, but when she finally met his family, she seemed to relax. Kit had shown her all of Mainframe. And the Diner. In fact, they had dinner there with his parents and siblings. It was really great. She hoped she made a good impression on them. On everyone. Kit apologized repeatedly about the story he had given Mike. She understood. She couldn't believe there would be reporters either! Besides, she thought it was pretty funny as well. 

Before dinner though, Nikki and Sabrina got into an argument over who would show her through the shops. Dani settled that like it was nothing, as though she was used to be being the older sibling and could handle the little ones. The girls agreed and went shopping along with AndrAIa and Mouse. Those two were a blast to hang out with. They were so funny and easy to get along with. Coming back to the Diner, Matrix and Enzo were having a wrestling match, with Chip as the referee. The Cecil waiter couldn't do anything to stop it. He tried and got a deletion look from all three. 

She sighed. 

It had been unreal, the second had gone by so fast and it was like she knew these sprites all her life. Any nervousness she felt was quickly eased away. It was almost as if they welcomed her in. She was already family, whether Kit asked her to marry him or not. She'd be one of those girlfriends parents loved and wanted to see their son marry, even if they broken things off. She wouldn't let that happen though. The idea of being with Kit appealed to her more and more. She loved him and wanted to be with him. Start a family of their own maybe. 

She turned, holding her pillow tight. 

It was amazing what could happen in a second. 

It could turn your life around. 

* * * 

"You like her, don't you?" 

Dot sat up in bed, reading over business files and such. 

And doing her best to ignore Bob. 

The blue guardian was propped up on his arm looking at her. He'd been bugging her about Dani all night. "You do, don't you?" he asked again, clearly enjoying this. "I can see it in your eyes." 

"What does it matter, Bob?" she asked. "What's important is that they both love each other." 

"Uh huh." Bob nodded. "But you like her, right?" 

"Do_ you _like her?" she shot back. 

"Yes, I like her." the guardian replied, sitting up in bed as well. "I think she's good for Kit. But then again, I think my son is worthy of any girl. Any girl would love him. But..." he leaned in closer. "I'm not his mother." 

Dot sighed and closed the window she was looking. Bob had her. Knew how she felt. 

"I do like her." she said, a sad smile on her face. "I think Kit has met a wonderful girl. That's the problem though." 

"Dot, he's still going to be our son, whether he's married or not." 

"He's our baby." she said, making a small pout. "And he doesn't need me anymore." 

Bob chuckled in spite of himself. Wrapping his arms around her, he said, "He still needs you, Dot. If he didn't, he wouldn't have brought Dani to meet us. He may be big and adultish, but he's still our little boy, right?" 

Dot smiled a little. "Like Matrix and Enzo." she sighed. "That almost deleted me, watching them grow up and have families of their own." 

"Yeah and they still needed you, right?" 

"No." she said, turning to look at him. "They needed us. You're right, Bob, as always. That's getting pretty scary. You older you get, the more right you become." 

"Excess smartness kicking in, I guess." he shrugged. 

Giggling, she kissed him gently. "I'm tired." she said, gazing into his eyes. "Are you tired?" Bob just nodded. Reaching over her, he deleted the lights. 

Bob held her close and she snuggled against him. She smiled. She did like Dani. She was someone she could definitely see her oldest son with. And they were together. She could see the look Kit had in his eyes every time he looked at Dani and vice versa. Young and in love. Dot always had a sense when a new family member would enter the picture. First with AndrAIa, then Alex, and now Dani. All her boys had found someone, except for Jet. She still had time for one last baby. 

She shook her head. This wasn't an end to her motherhood. It was the beginning to mother-in-law-hood and maybe grandma-hood.   
  
__   



	7. Interlude

**Interlude**

****

Hello! Mike the fabolous TV here to give the little interlude to our story! This is the "break" if you will. Think of it as a commercial. The point in the story where you can go potty or get snacky foods while we wait for you. Oh, yeah. it's also the place where I tell you about the upcoming chapters. SPOILERS!! Well, you've just left Arc two in this little series and you'll be going on to Arc Three, the Sabrina Matrix Story and then to Arc 4, The Father, The Son, and The Holy Ghost. After that, you'll enjoy the final story in this, Survival of the Fittest. Then, as a special treat for all you loyal reviewers and fans out there, the author, Miss WebMistress herself, is giving you not one, but TWO chapters of deleted scenes as well as TWO chapters of added scenes. 

How much would you expect to pay for this incredible package? 

$199.99? 

$299.99? 

Even $9999.99? 

NO! 

Not even that! 

Would you believe that all of these great stories and extras are FREE!? I know! That's what I said! 

It's crazy! 

It's madness! 

It's genius! 

Okay, it seems my time is almost out, but first let me say, thanks to the great WMG for one, renewing my very own show, The Mike Show, on her site, the My Favorite Shows site. That's right, my show is coming back, folks. And new and improved, as I hear it. Also, gotta thank her for giving me this little spot of time, seeing as I'm hardly in ANY of this series. I made like what, one, two appearances? And completely spaced out too. The whole thing about being destroyed by those twin terrors, Sabrina and Chip Matrix. Now, I ask you is that fair? I mean, really. How can I do my journalistic duty if... 

**MIKE!!**


	8. BEGINNINGS: Arc 3: The Sabrina Matrix St...

Parenthood will be a common theme in these next two arcs. In the previous arc, Bob and Dot learned about parenthood without going too crazy. In this arc, Matrix and AndrAIa will try to rise to the occasion, but it's not easy. They're having a baby, while raising another. Double duty hits the Matrix clan. Welcome to Arc Number Three. 

**Beginnings******

**Arc 3 - Chapter 1 - The Plot, the Park, and the Rain**

  
****

**GAME OVER. USER WINS.**

If that moment didn't keep going through his head... 

Matrix remembered that second almost as if it had happened yesterday. And that second had changed their lives for the worse. He had blamed himself for the longest time that it had been his fault AndrAIa was back in the games. His fault Megaframe happened. If he had been there, he would've said Bob getting thrown into the Web was his fault. It was bad enough his sister blamed herself for that. But that all aside, everything that had happened was for a reason. 

Phong had told him that after the restart, when he was trying to adjust to having Enzo around. When he stopped looking at the bad side of life, he actually found the good. The best being AndrAIa. He wasn't sure when he had fallen in love with her, maybe he had always been in love. He knew as children, he was crazy about her. That's why it nearly deleted him knowing he had put her back in a place where she had just escaped from. But, if the games hadn't happened, they might not have fallen in love period. He was scheduled to go to the Academy once the Web War was over. 

He could've met someone else. 

Thank the User he hadn't. 

He remembered those seconds and how hard they had been. If it hadn't been for the attractive game sprite, he might not have made it through. There had been a time when she had been protector and he was the emotional rock. Funny how things change in an instant. Suddenly, he wanted to be the protector, protecting her from the elements he hadn't been able to before and she became the rock. It had all been fine when games were at stake, but when she started looking like a beautiful young woman, suddenly he had to protect her against guys who wanted to be with her. 

He still wasn't sure what she saw in him. 

It started with hugs after winning a game first, then became hugs for just being there. Then the hugging became little kisses, which turned to big kisses, which began their relationship. He didn't know when he had fallen in love with her. She had been hit with the love bug as soon as they met. He knew it wasn't then. Oh, he liked her. A lot. But he didn't love her until much later, when he saw how other guys looked at her the way he did. He wanted to leave her, let her be with a really charming guy. He knew he had changed, not just physically, but mentally. She wouldn't hear it though. 

_"I will always be with you, Enzo."_

He never understood why she would continue to call him that or worse. Sparky. He hated that name, he really really did. All because he had nearly been electrocuted. That's right. Her affectionate name for him had come while playing a game, an updated version of Dungeons and Dragons. He would never forget that. Aiming for an elf, he missed and hit a light socket. _A light socket! _Of all the things that would be in a dark, dank castle, there was a light socket. 

And after getting static cling for two seconds, she kissed him. 

_"Mmmm." she whispered. "That caused sparks. But your kisses usually do."_

Well, he guessed it was the kisses before that that had caused the name, but he still hated it. But he was used to it by now. He was used to_ her _by now. And that's what made him get up early that second and head for the Diner. He didn't want the breakfast special, he didn't want to talk to Cecil ~delete him, maybe, but definitely not talk~, didn't want cereal. He did want to talk to Enzo. The renegade had been carrying around a ring...an engagement ring...for all of two hours now. He had bought it in one of the systems they had come across. He had known then he wanted to marry her. 

But in Mainframe. 

He bought the ring and put it in his pocket until they made it back to Mainframe. 

And then Daemon happened. 

He had hoped to ask her after the restart, but Bob had insisted they alert Dot and Phong about Daemon's presence. So he waited until after the fighting. Only the fighting wasn't stopping. It was in downtime. Matrix hated all this waiting and the uncertainty in it. The whole thing had caused a fight between him and AndrAIa. He hated fighting with her, especially when he had this ring in his pocket. Every time they fought, he was sure he'd have to sell the ring back, but one of them would always apologize and things went back to being fine. 

Even in his worry, he wanted...needed to ask. Even if they didn't make it back one second, the knowledge that she said 'yes', if of course, she did indeed say that, would make it all right to let go. 

But first, he needed to find Enzo. 

The two 'brothers' had been getting along great in recent cycles. Matrix actually found himself liking the boy ~Enzo was him after all~ and perhaps, he was coming to grips with his own past. A part of him had been locked away, where no one could find. AndrAIa always made a point to draw that out, but he kept a close reign until Enzo came back. It had been good having the boy back. He never felt right about leaving, even when he wasn't talking to the boy, but now he understood. Enzo_ was _his better half. It didn't seem right for Matrix to leave and never return. He_ needed _to be here. 

Besides, he liked being the big brother. 

Enzo soon found his way to the booth his brother sat in. He had big news, really big! Bigger than Matrix news! And he couldn't wait to share it's importance with the big guy. "Hey Jolly Green." he said, sliding across from him. Enzo had started pestering Matrix with nicknames, like 'big guy', 'jolly green giant', and Enzo's personal favorite, 'big me'. Matrix too enjoyed making up new names for his brother, like 'shorty', 'pee wee', 'shorty Magee', 'half pint', and the most popular, 'Sprout', the one name Enzo hated. 

"What's processing, Sprout?" Matrix said, not missing a beat. Enzo made a face at him, but continued. 

"Guess what I found out?" he asked happily. 

"Nulls really can fly?" the renegade joked. 

Enzo stuck his tongue out. "Don't blame me if your relationship with AndrAIa goes down the waste dump cause you didn't listen to me." he countered. 

"Okay, enough fooling around." the big sprite replied. "What is so big?" 

"Do you know what next cycle is?" 

"The cycle after this one?" 

"No." 

"Are you sure? Cause I really think next cycle is right after this one." 

"Are you going to be serious?" 

"Are you?" 

"No, really." Enzo insisted. "It's totally important." 

"Okay, I give." Matrix threw his hands up. "What's next cycle?" 

"Your anniversary." 

Matrix looked at the boy. "My anniversary of what?" he asked, now confused. 

Enzo rolled his eyes. Adults. He just couldn't reach them. "The anniversary of when you and Andri met, silly! I was in the P.O. with Phong today and he said, an hour ago next cycle, you and AndrAIa would've known each other for a whole hour." 

Matrix sat back in his seat. Had it been that long? Of course, if they had been Enzo's age, it would be an hour, but game time was much faster so...ten hours? They had known each other that long?_ Sprites and binomes had been married for less time! _Thinking about it, he figured this was great. Absolutely great. Their first meeting would signal their first real commitment to each other. He had never asked her to go out with him and she certainly never asked him. They just went with their feelings, so to speak. If he asked her to marry him, then she could back out of this relationship if she wanted. It would break his heart, yes, but he wanted her to be happy. 

"Hello!" Enzo said, waving his hand across Matrix's face. "Enzo to Matrix. Enzo to Matrix. Do you read me? Over." 

"I read you loud and clear, you clown." Matrix mumbled, pushing the hand out of his way. "Enzo, how would you like to help me?" 

"You just called me a clown." he pouted. "Why would I help you?" 

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry for the clown crack. Will you help me?" 

"Sure." the boy nodded. He then looked at his brother suspiciously. The last time the renegade wanted help, Enzo found himself locked in the Diner's freezer. "What kind of help?" 

Matrix was about to ask Enzo why he looked so suspicious, when it came to him. Last time he'd ask for the boy's help, he locked him in the Diner's freezer. It had been funny. But getting yelled at by Dot was not. Without saying, the large sprite looked around, making sure AndrAIa wasn't going to make a surprise appearance. Then, reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a velvet box and opened it. 

"Wow." Enzo breathed, looking at the ring. 

It was simple, nothing too fancy. It was a gold band, with aquamarine gems skipping over small diamonds. Enzo looked up at Matrix, who smiled then looked back at the ring. He couldn't believe it. He knew the two loved each other, but he never thought Matrix would actually propose and for his brother to want him to help was absolutely... 

Wonderful. 

"What do I gotta do?" he asked eagerly. 

Matrix looked around again. "Not here." he said, standing up. He couldn't afford to have someone come around and listen in on the conversation. "Let's go somewhere where we know we're not gonna have people sneaking up on us. Come on. I'll even give you a ride." Enzo happily jumped on his brother's back and the two were heading out when AndrAIa was heading in. 

"Hey boys." she said, cheerfully. "Where're you headed?" 

"Over to the Data Slides!" Enzo exclaimed. Matrix just nodded. As he started to go, she grabbed his hand. 

"No kiss?" she asked. 

Matrix smiled. He bent down to deliver a soft kiss to her lips. The fight was over. "I'll see you at home." she whispered, before kissing Enzo on the cheek. 

* * * 

"And that's the plan." 

"Dude..." 

The brothers Matrix were sitting on a nearby bench at the Data Slides. Matrix had laid out a perfectly reasonable plan. The first step was to make AndrAIa think he didn't want to see her. Then, a limo would come to their building, pick her up, and take her to Floating Point Park. Then Matrix, dressed awfully fancy, would lead her on a stroll until they reached the place where dinner would be set up. Soft music would play in the background. After dinner, dancing. During the dancing, the renegade would get down on one knee and ask the love of his life to marry him. 

If all went well, they would go home. 

"That sounds great." Enzo said, excited that he knew something no one else did. "But where do I come in?" 

"I'm glad you asked that, little brother." Matrix replied, smiling at the boy. "I need a waiter." Seeing the look on the boy's face, Matrix quickly added, "Not an ordinary waiter! See, it'll be your job to make sure we have dinner. You get to pick the food and even the place we'll eat it." 

"Wow." Enzo breathed. He couldn't believe Matrix was giving him all this power. 

"I'll handle the limo situation and of course AndrAIa. But whatever happens, you are not to tell anyone. Not Bob, not Dot, not even Phong. Got it?" 

Enzo nodded. The large sprite sighed. 

"Next cycle, huh?" he asked. Enzo again nodded. "Wow. Okay then. We'd better get started." 

* * * 

AndrAIa didn't like it. 

Something was definitely up. 

Those two were up to something. 

For the past cycle, she hadn't seen either Matrix nor Enzo and if by chance she did, they always had to go or be somewhere else. Even at home, Matrix was being very secretive, something he had never done before, at least not to her. It was starting to worry her, not to mention infuriate her. So she decided to play the game as well. 

She wasn't talking to either of them. 

Matrix, for his part, thought it was great AndrAIa didn't want to speak to him. At least for now. She couldn't possibly keep this up on the special night he planned. That would ruin everything. So far, things seemed to be going great. No one except he and Enzo knew that anything was planned. Enzo had somehow managed to get Cecil to cook the dinner himself ~what the boy had said to the server was unknown to anyone~ but the waiter had arranged for a tasty mushroom soup for the appetizer, a wonderful roasted duck with a special stuffing for the entree, and a chocolate Napoleon for dessert. Enzo had even picked a perfect spot, where the Energy Sea would be a beautiful backdrop to the evening and where a large tree stood, that could cover the dirty dealings for the night. 

Matrix was totally impressed. 

His work had been easy as well. Renting a limo wasn't too hard when you're the brother of the woman who is a partner in the company. Matrix almost laughed out loud. He didn't even_ know _Dot owned this. But it served his purpose. Now the only problem was getting a driver. He wanted someone he knew, but not someone who would be easy persuaded into telling someone else his plans. Well, Bob, Dot, and Mouse were out. No way he'd get those bumbling bots Hack and Slash to help. Enzo was already helping him, that and the boy couldn't drive yet, he certainly couldn't do it. AndrAIa was already mad him so he doubted she would willingly drive herself to their dinner. After he had gone through everyone he could think of, one name popped up. 

That name instantly put a scowl on his face. 

The last person he wanted involved in this was Ray Tracer. 

Matrix would never forget the way the surfer had looked at AndrAIa and even the way he still did. He and Mouse were an item, yes, but whether they were at the commitment stage like him and AndrAIa or Bob and Dot was still unknown. He didn't want to take chances, but who else was there? The limo service didn't have enough drivers to go around, besides Matrix had plainly stated he didn't want one of their drivers. This was supposed to be a secret and he didn't want it out. Breaking down his standards, he headed over to Ship, where he knew Mouse would be. 

And where ever Mouse was, Ray was there, too. 

It never failed. 

As the renegade walked into the ship bays, he saw the hacker's ship stationed in her favorite bay aisle and loud banging could be heard as far away as the door. He couldn't see Mouse or Ray, but figured they were there somewhere. The point was to find the surfer. A tap on his shoulder caused the large sprite to react and pull Gun. 

"Not this again, Mate." Ray Tracer replied, hands already in the air. 

"You really shouldn't do that." Matrix grunted, holstering Gun back on his hip. 

"Sorry." the surfer replied, holding his baud under his arm. "I saw you heading for Mouse and thought you needed something." 

Matrix sighed. "Yeah, I do need something." he said, looking everywhere but at Ray. "But it's not Mouse I need to talk to. It's you." 

"Uh oh." Tracer gulped. "What have I done this time?" 

"Nothing." Under his breath, he muttered, "Yet." 

Grabbing the Web surfer by the arm, Matrix dragged him over to a corner, one where he could see out, but no one could see in. "I need a favor." he said. Ray couldn't hide the surprised expression that came to his face. It was no secret the renegade did not like him, so to ask him for a favor was news indeed. 

"Okay." he said slowly. "What's the favor?" 

"Without going in to too much detail, I need you to pick AndrAIa up tomorrow night and bring her to Floating Point Park." Matrix stopped the surfer even before he could ask a question. "Don't ask me any questions." Handing the limo keys to him, the large sprite continued. "You're to pick up the car that goes with those keys at the Lancelot Limo parking lot. The guys know me over there, Dot happens to be a partner in the business, so don't do anything to screw up that car." His point emphasized by poking Ray, hard, in the chest. "Second, you head over to our apartment. 45G is the number. Pick AndrAIa up. Do not talk to her, do not engage her in any conversation what so ever, and above all, do not_ touch _her. You getting this so far?" 

Ray sighed, a scowl appearing on his face. "For someone who just asked me for a favor, you seem to think I'll actually be doing it." he said. "Did it ever occur to you I might have plans tomorrow evening? No, of course it didn't. Now, I'll make a deal with you. You tell me what this is all about and I'll try to push my evening back." 

Matrix's first reaction was to storm out, but he didn't. He needed Ray to do this for him and to have the surfer mad at him would not help any. With a beaten sigh, Matrix pulled out the velvet box and showed Ray the ring. The surfer was a bit taken by the ring, but more so by the beauty and elegance in it, something he didn't think the renegade possessed. But looking at the sprite's face, Tracer could tell he was honest and probably worried about AndrAIa's reaction. 

Ray knew the renegade was the kind to be easily set off by someone else admiring his lady love, but he had known, after AndrAIa had been bitten by that Web creature, how much Matrix loved her. True, Ray found the young sprite very attractive and had thought of pursuing something. He couldn't possibly believe a girl like that could be with a guy like Matrix, but apparently it was something in him only she saw. Coming back to Mainframe, he had only gotten a glimpse of what the guy was like. It seemed everyone else knew him for something he wasn't anymore. 

But Ray was happy for him. Actually happy. 

"Mate, all you had to say was that you were asking AndrAIa to marry you." the surfer replied. 

"I don't want you blabbing it to the whole city!" Matrix whispered. He sighed. "I really need you to do this for me, Ray." 

It was pleading, almost on the verge of groveling. Ray could only smile. "All right, Mate." he said. "You've worn me down. You were saying?" 

* * * 

This was the night. 

The lights were out, the park was quiet... 

And they were behind schedule. 

Matrix stood pacing near a park bench. Dressed in a collarless shirt, a black sports jacket, black pants, and black shoes, he was the picture of a nervous and angry wreck. Enzo sat on the park bench, dressed in the same attire as his brother, except instead of pants, he wore black shorts. His legs swung happily over the edge as he watched his brother pace up and down in front of him. "Calm down." the boy said. "She'll be here." 

"Where are they?" he exclaimed, nervousness clearly heard on his voice. "They should've been here a microsecond ago!" 

"One whole microsecond!?" Enzo cried in sarcasm. "Oh my User! What ever shall we do?!" 

The renegade looked at the boy, characteristic scowl across his face. Sighing, he walked over and sat down next to his brother. 

"You haven't even said how nice I looked." Enzo replied, smoothing his hair. 

Matrix smirked. "Looking pretty smooth, baby brother." he replied, removing little specs of dirt from the jacket. He even had his icon on his lapel, just like Matrix did. "Thanks for helping me out, Enzo." he said. "I couldn't have done a lot of this stuff without you. Just thought you should know that." 

"Yeah, yeah." the boy said, suppressing a grin. "I just want a spot up front in the wedding." 

Matrix nodded, then looked at his watch. Standing up, he said, "Where in the Net are they?" 

* * * 

Well, this was just basic. 

Basic and dumb. 

AndrAIa sat, all alone, on their couch in their apartment. The only problem was that_ he _wasn't there. AndrAIa just shook her head. What was going on? It was the middle of the cycle and she had no idea where Matrix was or Enzo as a matter of fact. Worse yet, this was their anniversary. It had been technically an hour since she and Enzo had met and since she had come to Mainframe. She wanted to do something special, but where was Matrix? 

No where to be found, of course! 

She had been sulking all cycle, trying to get Matrix alone so she could talk to him, but of all people to show up and steal him away would be Enzo. Now, she loved the boy ~she couldn't very well love Matrix without loving Enzo~ but for some reason, she becoming just a tad bit jealous. She was overjoyed that the two spent time together, but even Enzo had to go to sleep at some point. Her sulking left her as someone knocked on the door. Standing, she went towards it calling, "Who is it?" 

Opening it, she saw Ray Tracer, standing in a tuxedo. 

"Um...hi Ray." she said, with some amount of uncertainty. 

Ray removed a card from his pocket and asked, "I'm looking for a Miss AndrAIa. Are you she?" 

"Um...yeah." 

"Ah good." he said, putting the card back. "I'm here to escort you to an unnamed location for dinner this evening." 

"Uh...okay." AndrAIa shook her head._ This is weird. _"Who wants the dinner and where are you taking me?" she asked. 

"I'm sorry, Miss, but I can not divulge that information." He stood, his arms folded. "Aren't you going to get dressed now?" he asked. 

She nodded her head slowly. "I'll...be right back." 

Turning, she headed for the bedroom, calling over her shoulder, "Have a seat, Ray. I'll be right out." Reaching the bedroom, she shut the door and smiled slightly. This was really weird. Could Matrix have been planning a special night after all? She figured she'd dress to the occasion. She had gone shopping with Mouse ~shopping always made her feel better~ and had found the most gorgeous dress. It was a light blue that closely matched her eyes, sleeveless, with a low back line, and a small slit up the side. She had bought it, hoping that she and Enzo would have a quiet evening together. 

Maybe they still would. 

* * * 

"Well, it's about time!" 

From overhead, a long black limo could be seen making the huge U-turn in order to land on the side of the park. Pulling up to the curb and deleting the engine, Ray hoped out and ran to the side of the car. He opened the door and a vision of loveliness stepped out. 

Both Matrix and Enzo were floored. 

"Wow." was all Enzo could say. 

AndrAIa walked over to them, a coy smile on her face. "I thought I might find the two of you here." She giggled, seeing their surprised looks. "I can't believe you two are speechless. Well, maybe Matrix here, but..." 

The two somehow managed to smile at the young game sprite. 

"You look beautiful, AndrAIa." Matrix replied, handing her a single rose. 

Enzo stood back and smiled, then realized he had a job to do. "Well, I should probably be going." he said, grabbing his zipboard and flying off. 

"You kids behave yourself, all right?" Ray chuckled, winking at Matrix and getting back into the limo. He still had a couple milliseconds on it, so he figured Mouse could use a nice night on the town. 

Matrix watched him go and turned back to the beautiful sprite that now stood before him. If he was nervous before, having AndrAIa standing in front of him only made the task more difficult. User, she was beautiful. He didn't realize he had been just staring at her until she snapped her fingers. "Huh?" 

"You okay?" she asked, a small grin on her face. 

"Yeah, I um..." he stuttered. "I guess I should apologize first, you know for ignoring you all cycle. But I had to, see? Cause if you had found out about this, then it wouldn't have been a surprise and then...well, you know." 

AndrAIa put her arms around his neck, bringing him down slightly and rising her up towards him. "You're so cute when you ramble." she said, giving him a small kiss. 

"So you're not mad at me?" 

"Well, I was." she started. "But I think you can make it up to me." 

Leaning in for another kiss, Matrix whispered, "I plan to." Sometimes he couldn't believe how easy it was to fall under her spell. 

"Come take a walk with me." 

Taking her hand, the couple took the path that would lead directly to the dinner Enzo had waiting for them. Matrix wasn't in too much of hurry to get there. He wanted to remember every little detail about this night, from the dress she wore to the way she smelled ~which was awfully good, he thought~. They soon came to a set of steps that overlooked the romantic setting. Stepping down first, Matrix turned to her. 

"Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?" he whispered, drawing her close. 

"About seven times so far." she said. Taking the rose and trailing it down his cheek, she said, "Not that I'm complaining of course." The two were soon joined in a kiss. 

Meanwhile, Enzo and Frisket were sitting behind the large tree, waiting for the couple to arrive. The boy figured he had enough time to go get a burger from the Diner and still make it back. 

He could've eaten it in the Diner if he wanted to. 

Enzo had been there and back, twice already, and had given his left over fries to the large red dog. Glancing at his watch again, he looked around. There they were! Standing on the steps and kissing. He rolled his eyes. It was bad enough he had to watch Bob and Dot do this all the time now. They had just gotten married and it was totally great having Bob around all the time, but the kissing thing...ick. 

Enzo hoped he'd never get so kissy when he was older. 

Breaking the kiss, AndrAIa looked over his shoulder. In the distance, a small table and two chairs sat waiting for two occupants to come by. The table was wrapped with a white tablecloth and it looked like two candles sat on its surface. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that table over there, would you?" she asked. 

"What table?" he asked, nuzzling her neck. 

The game sprite giggled and pointed off in the distance. "That table." 

The renegade turned and saw the very table he was leading her to. "Oh,_ that _table." he said, a sheepish grin on his face. Taking her hand again, he said, "Come on." 

The couple soon reached the table destination and Enzo popped up from behind the tree. "It's about time you two showed up." he complained, dusting himself off. One look from Matrix told the boy this was not the time to be complaining. "Um...I mean..." he straightened himself and said, "Welcome to Che...Che...La Park. Yeah. If I may show you to your table." The boy lead them to the table and had them seated. "I'll be your waiter for tonight." he said, grinning at AndrAIa. "Matrix is the name, service is my game. I have prepared a delicious menu for you both. You'll start out with a very yummy mushroom soup, followed with a very tasty roast duck, and for your dessert pleasure, a chocolate...a chocolate..." 

Pulling out an index card, Enzo quickly read the menu. "A Chocolate Napoleon." He nodded and replaced the card. "So, if you will just hang on for a few nanos, I'll be right back with your food." He ran around to the other side of the tree to retrieve the cart the food sat on. 

"This is really sweet of you, Enzo." the game sprite replied, reaching over and taking the renegade's hand. 

"I wanted everything to be special tonight." he said. "You deserve it." 

The two gazed into each other's eyes, realizing how long they had known one another and how much they both loved each other. A small "psst" came from the tree. 

"I think our waiter's trying to get your attention." AndrAIa smiled. 

Looking over, Enzo was indeed trying to get Matrix to come over to him. "Whadda you want?" the large sprite hissed, but only got a begging and pleading look from his younger self. Turning to AndrAIa, he said, "I'll go see what he wants." He got up, still smiling at his lovely date, then turned to the waiter and "What?" AndrAIa really had to keep from laughing. The two were doing their best to whisper, but with her hearing, she could hear the entire conversation. Apparently, Enzo was having trouble moving the cart, which sat behind the tree, and he needed Matrix's help. 

"Whoa, whoa, you're going too fast!" came the exclamation. 

Within a few nanos, Matrix came back and took his seat. "Everything okay?" she asked, trying to appear worried. She was shocked that the two had gone through all of this for the couple. It really was sweet. She made a note to thank Matrix personally once they got home. 

"Yeah." Matrix replied quickly. "He...lost a button. Waiters are so...melodramatic." 

"I heard that." Enzo sneered, bringing the cart to the table. Smiling at the game sprite, he said, "On the house, ma'am." To Matrix, he said, "You owe me a tip." 

"Not if we have nothing to drink with dinner." Matrix shot back. 

Enzo looked around and realized for the first time, he hadn't set the glasses and the chilled spirits for the meal. "Whoops." he said, quickly running behind the tree and retrieving the things he had forgotten. "I still want a tip." he said. "You have no idea what I had to do to get that. I am underage, you know." 

"You want a tip?" Matrix asked. 

"Yeah." 

"You're too short." 

Enzo narrowed his eyes. "I'm going to try and forget you said that." The young boy took the cart and disappeared behind the tree. Within a nano, he was back, standing next to Matrix. 

"What now?" the large sprite asked, feeling the boy's presence. 

"I need batteries for the radio." he whispered quietly. 

"What?" 

"I need batteries for the radio." he repeated, a little louder, but still trying to hide it from AndrAIa. 

"Are you telling me you didn't think to bring batteries for the radio?" Matrix grumbled, trying to keep his voice low. 

"_You _said you were bringing batteries!" 

"Everything okay, boys?" AndrAIa asked, suppressing a smile. 

They smiled at her. "Just fine." Matrix said, suppressing the urge to strangle his brother. "Just having some technical difficulties." Turning back to Enzo, he hissed, "Am I supposed to do_ everything _right now?" 

"Look," Enzo whispered. "You said, and I quote 'Do not worry, little brother, I will bring batteries for the radio because I know how hard it was for you to arrange this dinner for me and you're underage, so you had to beg and steal in order to get the chilled spirits for my romantic night with the sprite I love, so I will take some of the burden off you.' That is what you said." 

"I said no such thing." 

"Okay, I add the last part as a whim, but I do remember you saying..." 

Reaching into his inside pocket, Matrix pulled out a package of batteries and threw them at Enzo. "There, now go away!" 

"Are you telling me you had batteries in your pocket this whole time and you didn't even bother..." 

"I thought you would bring batteries!" Matrix exclaimed, glancing at AndrAIa and smiling nervously. "Get over there." he said, pushing Enzo away from the table. 

"I'll be back with your duck, sir." Enzo grumbled smartly. 

AndrAIa couldn't help but giggle. 

* * * 

Everything seemed to going smoothly so far. The radio was now running on batteries, the majority of food had been eaten, and the night was going great. Matrix and AndrAIa were dancing to some love song being played, while Enzo sat behind the tree eating Matrix's chocolate Napoleon ~the renegade gave it to him~. Every once in a while, he'd look over at the two and smile. He was really looking forward to going to the Academy next hour, not just to become a guardian like his brothers, but to be with other little kids. 

The boy had noticed he was going through some 'changes', something Bob had outlined in their recent facts of life talk. He wasn't going through the growth spurt that he had hoped and he wasn't growing a moustache or beard. Nothing physical was happening like he wanted, but Bob had said that wasn't all that happened. It would be little things at first, probably things he wouldn't even notice, and then the big things happened. Enzo had been experiencing something he couldn't wait to get to the Academy for. 

Girls. 

Now being the only little boy in the system, it was slightly hard for Enzo to be taken by little girls. Oh, he had had his crushes on some of the binome girls in his class, but it was just kid stuff. But now that he was older, he found himself enjoying the company of AndrAIa and Mouse and...Hexadecimal. Why Enzo had suddenly found the ex-virus attractive was beyond him, but for some reason, her new face was beautiful. He found her very attractive. He also thought AndrAIa was a babe and Mouse was always funny and sweet. And of course Dot was totally smart, but Enzo had reserved never to think of his sister as someone he viewed as attractive. She was, of course, but she was also his sister. 

Enzo hoped he could meet someone as great as the women in his life were. 

Matrix was feeling more nervous than ever, but the time was right. There was no doubt in his mind who he wanted to spend his life with and that person was dancing in his arms. He loved her more than anything in the Net. They had known each other since they were kids and the more they grew up, the closer they got. No one knew him better than she did. He wanted everything for her and he hoped she'd want to stay with him too. 

"AndrAIa?" 

The game sprite pulled back to look up at him. "Yes?" 

"I...um..." He had rehearsed this a thousand times, but now that it was actually happening, he wasn't sure what he wanted to say. Clearing his throat, he started again. "Andri, I...um...I wanted to...um...to um...ask you something." 

"What?" 

"Um..." Oh no. What was he going to ask her? "Um..." He couldn't do this, not with her looking at him like that, all beautiful and sexy._ But that's the way she is,_ he thought. "I...uh...wanted to...um..." 

"Ask me something?" she asked. Matrix merely nodded. "What're you gonna ask me?" 

Enzo shook his head. His brother was going down in flames out there. 

"Um..." 

"Ask her!" the boy hissed. Matrix glanced at him and then back to the lovely sprite in his arms. 

"Uh..." 

"The ring!" Enzo whispered. "Give her the ring!" 

"Enzo?" AndrAIa asked, turning the large sprite's attention back to her. 

Matrix took a deep breath and decided to just go for it. "Will you...?" 

**WARNING: INCOMING GAME**

"Oh no." Matrix whispered, turning to see the sky open and the familiar purple cube coming slowly over G-Prime. 

"What a time for games!" Enzo muttered, looking up at the sky, then turning to his brother. 

Both could feel the pull, the need to be in there. "Not this." Matrix sighed. "Not now." He looked at AndrAIa, he couldn't possibly make her go in that game and he knew he couldn't leave her here with clean up. 

"If you guys want to go, I won't mind." she said. 

"Um..." Matrix said, contemplating on what his decision should be. Over head, he could see Bob's outline heading towards the sector. "Enzo, you stay here with AndrAIa." She gave him a kiss on the cheek. 

"Be careful, kay?" 

With a nod, Matrix walked over to Enzo and knelt down. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the ring and gave it to Enzo. "Keep it safe until I get back." Giving the boy's hair a tousling, the renegade quickly got his zipboard and headed for G-Prime. 

* * * 

"Nice of you to join me." 

Matrix had barely made it under the cube before it dropped and now he and Bob stood in a remote jungle. The blue guardian gave the big sprite a once over and chuckled. 

"You're a bit overdressed for playing games, aren't you?" he asked. 

"Let's just say my perfect evening is now totally ruined." 

Bob laughed. "Don't worry." he said, clapping the sprite in the shoulder. "We'll be out of here before you know it. I know how you hate keeping AndrAIa waiting." 

"Let's do it." 

* * * 

It had been a long game. 

Way too long. 

It was some hunting game, except their prey were dinosaurs. Big, huge, mean, and very foul smelling dinosaurs. By the time the two guardians had finished, it was a lot darker than it had been when they first entered. And worse yet, that stupid dinosaur had broken Matrix's zipboard. Bob offered to portal him over to the Diner ~after all, that's where he was headed~, but Matrix declined, saying he had some more rehearsing to do before he got there. Bob shrugged and portalled himself home. The renegade shook his head. The night had been going so well too... 

"What else could possibly happen?" He uttered in frustration. 

Little droplets hit him and the ground before an all out data storm dropped from the sky. 

* * * 

Enzo was antsy. 

He knew Matrix would be mad, but it was raining! Certainly he didn't expect his brother and future wife to wait for him in the rain. So now, he and AndrAIa sat in a booth at the Diner. Enzo kept fiddling around in his seat, while Andri and Dot talked about second events and so forth. Enzo kept looking out the large window, hoping to see the renegade. When a portal appeared, Bob walked out alone. 

"Where's Matrix?" the boy asked, quickly. 

"Went for a walk, I guess." the guardian shrugged. "I offered him a free ride, but he said no." 

"He what?" the boy exclaimed. Burying his head in his hands, the boy grumbled, "Stupid, obstinate, retarded..." 

"Hey Enzo, you all right?" AndrAIa asked. "You seem a bit cranky." 

"He's probably cranky because he's tired." Dot replied. "It's way past your downtime, young man." 

"I gotta stay and wait for Matrix!" 

"You'll see him tomorrow." Dot replied. "Now, come on. I don't think you'll be a very good uncle if you insist on staying up all night. Uncles need rest, too, you know. Come on." To the game sprite, Dot asked, "Sweetie, could you have Matrix lock up when you leave?" 

"Sure, Dot." she replied, happily. "Night." 

The small family headed through the kitchen door, but Enzo hung around and left the ring under the bar counter. "Hey Dre, would you give Matrix a message for me?" he asked. 

"Okay." 

"Tell him the tide is high and the goose is in the cage." 

AndrAIa looked at the boy in confusion. "Is he going to know what that means?" she asked. 

"Probably not." the boy said. "Just tell him I left him something under the counter right here, okay?" 

"Sure." The boy nodded and headed to bed. 

* * * 

He was late. 

Late and getting later. 

Later and later. 

And when he_ did _walk through the door of their apartment, he was soaking wet. 

AndrAIa just shook her head. "You're all wet." she said, watching as he stomped and grumbled past her and into their bedroom. 

She was already dressed in her nightshirt and sat on the couch, waiting for him to come back. She could hear mumbling and cursing about the game, the rain, and something about a dinosaur. 

Matrix had never been so mad. Bad enough a game cuts in to his evening, right when he's about to propose, but then it starts to rain. A data storm. Something that rarely happened in Mainframe and of all nights, it would happen that night. Then, he walked in that rain, over to Floating Point Park, just to find a soggy note from AndrAIa and Enzo saying that a data storm had started ~"No, really?" he had groaned sarcastically~ and they were heading for the Diner. So Matrix headed to the Diner, just to find it locked. He could've easily gone home, but Enzo had his ring and he needed it back. So after opening the door to Diner, going through the kitchen to the apartment, and pounding on the door, he finally got Bob to wake up, who in turn woke up Enzo so the renegade could get his ring. 

Then, he had gone home. 

Walked rather. 

And lo and behold, as soon as he entered the building and made his way to their apartment, the rain stopped. 

"Figures." he muttered, continuing on his way. 

But now he was home and about to get into nice, warm, dry clothes. He booted out of his wet clothes and changed into a pair of black boxers with little guardian icons on them ~a gift from AndrAIa~ and a white t-shirt. Coming out from the bedroom, he felt a little better and plopped his body next to his girlfriend. 

"Feeling better?" she asked. 

"Feeling drier and warmer, but not better." He sighed. "I'm really sorry for tonight, AndrAIa." 

"Why?" she asked. "I had a great time." Upon seeing the look he gave her, she took his face in her hands. "I mean it. So things didn't go the way they should, but it was still sweet of you to do that for our anniversary." 

"So you knew?" 

She laughed, something that always put him at ease. "I spend sometime in the Principal Office, too, you know." she said. "I was actually kinda afraid you didn't know." 

"I didn't, not til Enzo told me." 

"I figured you two were in on this thing." 

"I really wanted things to be special, AndrAIa." he said. "I know it's not exactly my specialty, but..." 

Giving him a small kiss, she said, "It_ was _special. To me." 

Putting his arm around her, he pulled his lover closer. The evening hadn't gone at all the way he planned, but AndrAIa seemed to enjoy it and that was good enough for him. Sometimes he wondered if he could really ever make her happy and then he'd do something, whether it be good or bad, and she would either be happy with him or forgive him. He had never met anyone like her before and he probably never would. 

"So, are you gonna ask me to marry you or not?" she asked. He turned to look at her, a stunned expression on his face. 

"You...you..." he sputtered. 

Cuddling up to him, she said, "I've known for a while. I knew when you bought the ring." 

"Really?" 

"Yes." she giggled. "I had gone in that very store looking for a present for you, oddly enough. I ran into the jeweler who asked if I liked the ring." 

"I should've known she'd blab." he said, disgustedly. 

"It didn't matter." she said. "I knew you wanted to wait until we got home. And this Daemon thing pops up...I love you, Enzo. I'll wait forever for you." 

Matrix looked at this sprite he had loved for so long. Every so often, he fell in love all over again. "What did I do to deserve you?" he asked, reaching up and stroking her face. 

"You're just lucky, I guess." she smirked. Drawing closer to him, she said, "I think you know what my answer will be. You know I'll say yes." She kissed him lightly, then a little deeper. Breaking away, she asked, "So where's my ring?" 

Reaching behind him, he removed the little velvet box from the cushions. Looking at it though, he wanted to do what he hadn't in the park. Sliding off the couch, he got down on one knee. "Enzo, you really don't have to do this." she said. Although she knew what he was planning, her voice was still caught in her throat. 

"I want to." he said. Taking her hand in his, he looked up at her. "I love you more than anything." he said. "I know sometimes I can be stubborn and quick tempered and..." 

"And jealous, unreasonable..." AndrAIa added, humor present in her speech. 

"Yeah, that stuff too." he muttered. "But I do love you." Opening the box, he looked at her again. "AndrAIa, will you marry me?" 

"Oh Enzo." she sighed. She really never thought this would happen. She had even known he carried the ring around for two hours, but still, the event itself took her breath away. "Yes." 

Placing the ring on her finger, he stood and kissed her.   


**Matrix and AndrAIa are getting married. But is their life beginning or ending? On top of their future plans, they're looking out for Enzo's as well. And then there's still Daemon to worry about. This is the second chapter of the third arc. Sometimes a beginning signals many beginnings...and many endings.**

  


**Arc 3 - Chapter 2 - Did Anyone Get the License of that Banner Ad?**

AndrAIa had never been happier. 

And she couldn't stop looking at the ring that adorned her finger. 

She still couldn't believe she and Enzo were getting married. It was really incredible. She had wondered if their relationship would go as far as Bob and Dot's or was it just something that Ray and Mouse had. But he shown her when he bought the ring, it was on his mind. But after another two hours of game hopping and then returning home to Megaframe and then confronting Daemon, AndrAIa was losing hope that he would indeed ask. 

But he had. 

But they were waiting again. 

AndrAIa really didn't mind much. Not really. They had gotten engaged when Dot had discovered she was pregnant. She understood Enzo wanted to wait until he was an uncle before they got married. That way, all the family could be there. Besides, she needed Dot to do some planning and right now the Command.Com was hormonal. She hoped Enzo was happy. Little Enzo sure was. The little boy had helped in the romantic evening that wasn't and knowing he was going to have a sister in law excited him to no end. 

She loved the little guy. It was weird actually. Yes, he was Enzo's younger version and she had loved him even then. But he was also like a little brother to her, someone she enjoyed looking for. He'd be leaving for the Guardian Academy soon and she knew it would break her heart not having him around. But she couldn't think about that now. Right now, it was a happy time and she went around showing how happy she was. 

* * * 

The Word. 

The Word was reaching far and wide in the Super Computer. Those who had not yet heard it were clued in and those that knew it strove to make their mistress happy. Daemon had been dormant for the past minutes, getting stronger and wiser. Her tactics with trying to take Mainframe had failed and she would not be making the same mistake twice. She had a source in the small system that told her the guardian and the Command.Com had been married and were now expecting a child. Daemon had been pleased upon hearing this. She was glad Bob and Dot had revealed their feelings and now they would be shown in a new life. 

She also heard Matrix and AndrAIa were engaged. 

She was especially happy for the renegade and game sprite. Especially for Matrix. She remembered their conversation when he had heard the Word and how scared he had been about losing AndrAIa's love. She was overjoyed knowing Matrix's life was now in order. The only thing that would make things complete would be if they all heard the Word again. It would easy enough. She just needed a distraction. 

* * * 

Matrix and AndrAIa weren't waiting for a perfect second or a glorious sign. They were getting married. 

Today. 

The two were slightly impatient about the whole thing, especially when reports that Daemon was up to old tricks had the couple scrambling. It wasn't going to be the big to do that Bob and Dot had, just something small and to their liking. It was Dot who trying to go overboard. She had just had a son a minute ago and she wanted to jump back into work like it was nothing. She had to be forced to stay still. But she had to give credit. The two knew what they were doing. 

AndrAIa had done all the "girly" things: picking out the flowers, wedding dress, bridesmaid dresses. Matrix had liked them all. 

_"Pick something!" she had yelled at him in frustration._

_"I don't care!" he said. "Whatever makes you happy, makes me happy."_

_"At least pick somewhere for us to be married in." she said, holding his face in her hands._

_"Don't worry, I got it covered."_

And he did. 

The wedding would be outside, in Floating Point, at a spot where the Energy Sea could clearly be seen. The color of blues glowing in the background always made Matrix think of her and how they had met. Oh, he had thought about the Diner ~the actual place her game had landed~ but he wanted something special, something romantic, something that she would always remember. Besides, his plan was to ask her to marry him in this park. It didn't work out, but at least he had done it. 

Right now, he was antsy. 

Dot had gotten some tents sent up so at least the participants could get dressed at the wedding. Matrix paced around in the "guys" tent. He had been dressed since early that morning, wearing a similar suit as that wonderful night. The top button though was a small guardian icon. Seated in a corner, dressed exactly alike, sat Enzo. He too had been excited. And tired. Since moving in with his older brother ~part of his deal when Christopher had been initialized~, he had been a little spoiled. Like staying up the night before. How Matrix could be awake and pacing was beyond him. 

"How can you even be awake right now?" he asked tiredly. 

Not stopping, the groom just muttered, "Well, when you're getting married in less than thirty microseconds, you tend to be wide awake. Besides, you need to wake up yourself. You are the best sprite." 

Enzo just nodded, closing his eyes. 

"Hey." 

Both brothers looked up to see their sister coming through the tent flap. Her bridesmaid dress was a light blue, with straps just below the shoulders. "I figured I'd find the two of you together." she said, turning to show off the dress. "Pretty nice, huh?" 

"You look great, Sis." Matrix replied, grinning. "Andri certainly has great taste." 

"I know." she said, straightening out his jacket. "Enzo, think you can find something to do while I talk to Matrix?" 

"Sure." the boy said, sliding out of his chair. As he headed for the door flap, Matrix stopped him. 

"You do have the rings, don't you?" he asked sternly. 

"Bro, give me some credit." the boy replied, shaking his head. "They're right..." Patting his chest, he exclaimed, "Oh No!" 

"What?" his siblings cried. 

"I thought I left an energy bar in here." he replied, calmly. Again, he said, "Oh no!" 

"What?!" 

"I think I have a hole." he said, examining his jacket. Looking up and seeing the expressions on their faces, he giggled. "I'm just joking." he said. "The rings are right here. They've been here since you told me I was best sprite." 

"Wait a nano." Matrix halted. "We didn't give you the rings when I said you'd be best sprite." 

"Then whose rings do I have in my pocket?" he asked innocently, before leaving the elder Matrixes. 

"He's just playing with you." Dot said, trying to hold her brother back. "Now come over here and sit down. I wanna talk to you." She drew him over to a small couch and made him sit. 

"If this is the facts of life talk, Bob already gave me that and what I didn't know, I kinda found out." He gave his sister a smirk. 

"That's not what I'm about to tell you, you pervert." she said, jokingly, elbowing him in the side. "This is important. And I have to tell you this cause, well...you're getting married. You're all compiled, you're certainly not a baby anymore." 

"This really does sound like the sprites and binomes talk." 

"Will you shut up?" Dot asked, rolling her eyes. "I'm serious. I wanted to talk to you. I'm sure if Mom was here, she'd..." the woman went quiet before continuing. "They'd be really proud, Enzo." 

"Really?" he asked. 

"Yeah." she said. "Listen little brother, I wanted to thank you for taking Enzo. Bob and I didn't have the room with the baby and all and..." 

"Hey, no big file." 

"Yes, it is a big file." she said, throwing an arm around him. "I know it's only for an hour, but thank you. He looks up to you so much, it just felt like something that should happen. I miss him like crazy now and he's only in the next sector." She laughed. "I love you so much. You're more than just my little brother. I remember when I had to change your diapers." 

"Oh geez, Dot!" the large sprite exclaimed, squirming in embarrassment. "Diapers?!" 

"Yes, diapers." she said. "And that initialization mark on your..." Matrix turned to look at her, like he had seen a ghost. "Oh come on. Do you really think AndrAIa's the only person who knows about that?" 

"User, delete me now." he sighed, face in his hands. 

"You're my baby, Enzo." she continued. 

Matrix sobered up. "I wish Mom and Dad could be here." he whispered. 

"So do I, little brother." Dot replied, resting her head on his shoulder. "But I think they are. Somewhere. I just hope I can be as good a mother as Mom was." 

"You already are." 

"Stop it. You're going to make me cry." 

"Well, you started this, not me." 

The two sat like that until Dot pulled out a rectangular velvet box. "I was thinking of giving this to AndrAIa." she said, holding the box in her hand. 

"What is it?" he asked. 

Opening the box, Dot revealed a jeweled necklace. The gems were small, but when in the light, they each gave off a different color. They were strung together inside a gold necklace. "Grandma Matrix's great great great grandmother had a jeweler make this when her daughter got married and ever since, it just gets passed down generations and generations. Mom gave me this, right before...you know and I've worn it already for my wedding, so I thought I'd give this to AndrAIa for hers. You know, for the something borrowed routine." 

"Wow." the renegade breathed. "You'd do that?" 

"Yes." Dot said, shoving her brother in the arm. 

"Yeah, but..." 

"Look, Andri's a part of the family. Has been even before you asked her to marry you. Sister in law, daughter in law, it's all relative." 

In an outwardly show of affection, Matrix hugged her. "Thanks, Dot." 

"For the necklace?" she asked. 

"For everything." 

She patted him on the back and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Come on, little brother." she said, standing. "Time to get you married off." 

The two started for the door, when Matrix stopped and pulled Dot back to him. Looking around quickly, he asked, "Dot, about that...you know...thing I have...you're not gonna...?" 

"What?" she asked in confusion. Realizing what he was referring, she rolled her eyes. "Oh for crying out...Enzo!" she chastised. "It's just an initialization mark." 

"Yeah, well I don't want you blabbing about it!" he exclaimed. 

"Your secret is safe with me, all right?" she said, exasperated. 

"Okay." the renegade nodded. "As long as you're the only person who knows." 

"Along with Enzo and AndrAIa." Dot replied, walking out the tent. 

"How do_ they _know?!" 

* * * 

Matrix tried to calm the floppies that danced around in his stomach. This was the biggest step he'd ever taken in his life. Thoughts of backing out flew in and out of his processor. What was he doing? He didn't know anything about being a husband. And what would happen when they had children? He'd already been over this with himself. He was not the fatherly type, plain and simple, but... 

He loved AndrAIa. 

If he had ever been sure of one thing in his life, it was that. 

Matrix had picked the song for the wedding march, using Franz Schubert's Ave Maria instead of the traditional. Matrix wasn't a big classical guy ~that was AndrAIa's specialty~ but every time he heard it, he thought of her. And he couldn't think of a better song to which she would walk to him, take his hand, and stand before friends and family saying how much they loved each other. When the song started, the more nervous he became. 

Until she saw her. 

Using Bob's arm as he escorted her down the aisle, AndrAIa had never looked looked more beautiful to him. Her wedding dress matched her bridesmaids, except it was white and she wore a thin veil. Her hair up in a ponytail, she was positively glowing. It was like time stood still as the two sprites made the walk, finally coming to Matrix, who never even acknowledge Bob as he gave his brother in law the hand of the sprite he would marry. Phong began the ceremony. 

"It is a good second for a wedding, yes?" he asked. "And for those of us who know these two sprites, we had seen their future together, even as children. Their hours together have certainly strengthened their bond and their love for one another. Young Matrix and AndrAIa have both written their own vows, which shall be read at this time." 

AndrAIa had one the coin toss earlier, so she went first. 

"I knew one thing for the first half of my life." she started, staring deeply into her intended's eyes. "And that were games and the one I was in. Until I met you. Of course I'd fall in love with the first person who actually cared about me." Some of the audience laughed. "I love you, Enzo, more than anything. I would do anything for you, I would live anywhere for you, anything you wanted, I'll do it. I love you so much." 

"I really can't follow that up with anything." Matrix joked, causing laughter to rise from the small crowd. "I can only say this. AndrAIa, you're everything to me. Through everything, you've been my best friend, especially when I was a total null sometimes. I couldn't have made through the games without you. I couldn't have made it back home if you hadn't been pushing me not to give up. You were everything I needed back then. You still are. Saying 'I love you' doesn't exactly cover all the things I feel when I'm with you. Nothing will." 

"The rings please." Phong instructed. 

Enzo jaunted over to stand in between AndrAIa and Matrix. Reaching inside his coat pocket, he produced two golden bands, one of each he handed to the couple. AndrAIa rewarded him with a kiss to his cheek and Matrix tousled his hair, inciting a displeased look to the boy's face. He then returned to his spot, while trying to smooth back his hair. Phong once again took up his sermon. 

"Young Matrix, you have chosen AndrAIa to spend your time with. This decision was one based on love and friendship. It is also a large responsibility. It requires more than love, but understanding, compassion, loyalty, honesty, and most importantly friendship, something I do not doubt you have all of the above for this sprite. Do you take her hand for the reasons stated and for those that shall come at a passing?" 

"I do." he said, slipping the ring on the game sprite's finger. 

Phong turned to AndrAIa. "AndrAIa, you have chosen Matrix, a decision that had been made long before this second. You have been everything to this sprite in his times of need and you continue to do so. You have at many times shown all those traits I had mentioned to the sprite that stands before you. As you take his hand, I know you will continue to do so. Do you take his hand for the reasons stated and for those that shall come at a passing?" 

"I do." she replied, placing the ring on his finger. 

"If there is anyone here today that can think of a reason why these two sprites can not be joined together, please speak now." 

Matrix and AndrAIa gazed into each other's eyes, knowing no one had a problem with this. 

"If you insist." 

Everyone's head snapped around to see a young male guardian standing in the aisle. He was orange, with short light blue hair. The green veins at his temples signaled he was infected. "I'm looking for the rogue guardian 452 and his field cadet." he said, hands on his hips. 

"Excuse me," AndrAIa replied, squeezing out as much sweetness as she could. "Do you_ not _see we've got a wedding going on here?" 

"Your petty exploits don't concern me." he shot back. "Now release custody of Guardian 452 and his cadet." 

Matrix and Enzo stood ready for anything and Bob tried to figure if he could get a clean shot at file locking the young guardian. "Oh for the love of..." AndrAIa started, losing her patience. "Look. We're kinda busy now. If you could sit down and wait for a nano, we will be right with you." 

"Don't toy with me!" the guardian exclaimed. "I am a disciple of Mistress Daemon. I am here on her command and..." 

"Now listen to me," the game sprite order, marching over to the infected sprite. "No one, but_ nobody _is going to ruin my wedding. So shove off!" She gave him a slight push, which only angered the guardian more. 

"You listen to me." he glared, giving Andri a push of his own. "I am not leaving here without those guardians." 

"Well, you're just gonna have to sit down," she returned, pushing him hard enough, he nearly went to the ground. "And shut up." 

"I refuse," he replied, pushing her just as hard. "To take orders from you." 

AndrAIa had tried to remain calm, had tried to be tactful, had tried to be as friendly as she possibly could, but even this could break the usually gentle game sprite. Without warning, her fist flew through the air, hitting the guardian in the face. Matrix, Bob, and Enzo were by her side quickly, as an all in out fight broke out between the guardians. It of course didn't last long, as it was one guardian against a whole system. Bob had him file locked and Princess Bula easily picked him up saying, "Me take to prison." and calmly walked away. 

"Remind me to never get on your bad side." Matrix whispered in her ear. 

"Okay, excitement's over people!" Dot replied, trying to get everyone seated. "We still have a wedding, yeah?" 

The excitement over, the small crowd returned to their seats and the bride and groom returned to their alter. Phong could see that the two were a little miffed, but none the less wanted to continue. "Um...where was I?" the elder sprite asked. "Oh yes! If there is anyone here today that can think of a reason why these two sprites can not be joined together, please speak now." Eight sprites turned and glared at their audience, daring one of them to try and start another interruption. 

Needless to say, none was started. 

"Very well then." Phong replied, smiling. "Aside for a few minor things that will be taken care of later, I present you all Enzo and AndrAIa Matrix." 

* * * 

"Man, this was the coolest second!" 

AndrAIa walked down the hall of the Eight Ball Apartments, her new roommate and her new husband jumping around her in excitement. "I've never been in a fight where I won!" Enzo chorused happily. 

"That was totally fantastic, Andri." Matrix said, walking in front of her. "I will really try not to get on your bad side. I mean, just WHAM!" 

"And did you see his eye?" Enzo asked. 

"He is not going to be seeing out of it for a_ long _time." 

AndrAIa just shook her head. She had just gotten married and right now the biggest thing they could talk about was the fact she had beaten some guy up. It did worry her though. Daemon reports hadn't been coming in since just recently and for her to send one, just one, guardian to try and get Bob and Matrix didn't set right with her. Opening the door to their apartment, she let Enzo in first, who ran to his room to change. She was still thinking when Matrix stopped her at the door. 

"You know I love it when you beat people up for me." he joked, his eyes gleaming. 

"And I'd do it again, Handsome." she replied, bringing his head down for a kiss. Breaking it, she looked at him seriously. "You know that was random today." 

"The guardian?" he asked. 

"Exactly." She looked at him for a moment. "This really worries me, Enzo." 

The renegade nodded. "Me too." 

The two just hugged each other, knowing another round of fighting would be taking place. Any plans they had would have to be put on hold. Enzo came out of his bedroom, dressed in jersey and jeans, and stopped in the living room. He was going to spend sometime with his little nephew, so his roommates could have the apartment. He, of course, would be coming back later though. 

"I'm happy to let you guys have the apartment," he said, walking towards them and grinning. "But I kinda can't leave if you're blocking the door." 

Lifting AndrAIa with one arm, Matrix opened the door with the other. Enzo strolled out, but then called back to the couple, "I'm coming back, right?" 

"We'll leave the door opened for you." AndrAIa joked. Shaking his head, the boy watched as Matrix shut the door on him. 

* * * 

The minutes passed with more fighting and more systems coming into Daemon's power. But she couldn't have complete Net control as long as Bob was out of her grasp. The blue guardian had already offered to leave, but everyone had hated the idea. He was a husband and a new father. He couldn't possibly leave. The time before Enzo would be heading to the Academy dwindle down til only a few minutes remained, to when only one minute remained. 

AndrAIa couldn't believe the time had gotten so short. She had really gotten used to have Enzo living with them. In fact, she could see how Dot had become so easily attached to the young boy. The game sprite too found Enzo wasn't just her little brother, but something more. As she and Matrix sat on a blanket in Floating Point Park, watching the small boy have one last romp and play session with Frisket, she could see their future ~hers and Matrix's~ very clearly. 

Matrix had been watching her watching Enzo ever since he had moved in them. The fact that she wanted a baby was etched clearly on her face, even now. Every doubt the large sprite had about starting a family with his wife still screamed at him, but looking at AndrAIa...the way she and Enzo spent time together...yes, he was scared, but he_ wanted _a baby with her. He wanted a family. 

"AndrAIa, I know what you're thinking." he said, quietly. She just smiled. 

"Am I that obvious?" she asked with a smirk. 

"Yeah." he said, running his fingers through her hair. "Especially when I want the same thing." 

Shaking her head, AndrAIa said, "You know we have to wait." 

"Why?" he asked, scooting closer to her. AndrAIa just looked at him, the explanation clearly seen through her eyes. "Spammed virus." the renegade hissed. "She's ruining everything! I love you, AndrAIa. I want a family with you." 

"You know how I feel about the whole thing." she said. "But it does us no good if one of us is infected or worse. We have to wait, Enzo. I don't want to." Turning her attention back to Enzo, she said, "Right now, we have to worry about Enzo and Daemon." 

Matrix sighed sadly, realizing their dreams were being doused by a virus. Seeing his expression, AndrAIa leaned over and kissed him. 

"Are you guys gonna kiss all second?" came a voice. 

Breaking the kiss, Matrix joked, "Maybe. If you went away." 

Enzo smiled and just took his place between his brother and sister. The end of his life here in Mainframe was coming to an end, as he embarked on something bigger. The Guardian Academy. The sooner the seconds came when he'd be leaving, he found himself spending as much time with the people that mattered most to him. For today, it was hanging out in the park with his older brother and his wife. 

"I can't believe you got tired out so easily." The game sprite smirked, wrapping an arm around the smaller sprite. 

"Must be getting old." Matrix joked. 

"It wasn't any of that." Enzo replied. "I had to keep you guys from making out in public. There are laws, you know." 

"Some of which_ you _won't be breaking." Matrix supplied. 

"Maybe not here..." Enzo said, mysteriously. 

"You? Stay out of trouble? I highly doubt it." 

"Do I have to hit you?" the boy asked. 

"Can you possibly reach that high?" came the retort. 

Enzo fumed for a nano before saying, "All right. That's it!" Matrix saw it coming, jumped up, and started running, the small boy heading after him. AndrAIa just shook her head and scratched Frisket behind the ears. "If they're not back in like five micros, I'll send you after them, okay?" 

After trying to tackle the big sprite to the ground, Enzo was instead picked up. The boys had a pretty good time roughing each other up before taking a seat under a tree that looked out in the distance. A number of other residents were out, having a picnics or what have you. "So you ready?" Matrix asked, hands behind his head. "For the Academy, I mean." 

"I think so." Enzo said. "I mean...I'm totally scared. I've never been out of Mainframe before and I guess I've gotten used to being the only little kid around." 

"You're not exactly a little kid anymore, if you've noticed." Matrix laughed. 

"Well, except the voice thing." he said, rubbing his throat. Enzo had recently been experiencing the onsets of puberty, the most annoying one was his voice kept cracking. It was much worse when he was around any of the girls. "I don't feel any changes. I'm still short, I'm not shaving or anything." 

"Give it time, little bro." Matrix said. "You can't go from a little kid to an adult in a microsecond, you know." 

"Yeah, yeah." the boy muttered. 

They were quiet for a bit, just looking out at the other sprites and binomes in the park. Enzo felt this would be a good time to tell Matrix just how great of a brother he had been. Their relationship had started off rocky, but had smoothed out considerably since that time. Living with the big sprite and AndrAIa had been wonderful. Their apartment was a second home for him. He missed Bob and Dot of course, but he also needed to spend more time with Matrix, especially when he was leaving so soon. 

Matrix noticed how quiet the boy had gotten and wondered if he wanted to say something. "Something you want to talk about, Sprout?" he asked. 

"Um...no." he said, quickly. "I'm...I'm cool." 

"You're sure?" 

"Solid." came the boy's reply. 

The renegade shrugged his shoulders and turned back to looking out at the system. Enzo played with the a small blade of grass, trying to formulate the right thing to say and how to say it. "Um..." he started. "Hey Enzo?" The large sprite had said the boy could call him that. 

"Um...hey what?" 

"Um...I love you." he blurted, still toying with the strand of grass. "There. I've said it. It's out in the open." 

Matrix looked at the boy in some sense of shock. "You didn't have to say it, you know." he mumbled. 

"Yeah, I know." Enzo replied, continuing not to look at his brother. "But...um...I thought you should know, you know, before I leave and everything cause I'm probably never gonna say it again, but I thought you'd want to know or something. And...um...you're a pretty good big brother, so I thought you should know that too." 

"Oh." he said, nodding. The two continued to stare out over the park, watching children playing with their siblings or parents. "I...um..." the renegade started. "I love you, too." 

"Really?" The boy asked, his head turning to look at his brother. 

"Yes, really." Matrix replied, shaking his head. "I like having you as a brother. I certainly can't beat Dot up, so..." 

"Whatever." Enzo chuckled, giving his brother a shove. 

"I really will miss you, Kid." Matrix continued. "Place won't be the same without you. _I _won't be the same without you." 

"Yeah, I know." he sighed. "It doesn't feel right when we're not together. Like everything's off." 

"I know, but you totally want to go to the Academy, yeah?" 

"Of course." 

"It's not like you're never gonna come home for vacations or anything or we're not gonna call." Matrix sighed and looked at his little brother. "You'll be all right, Sprout, don't worry. And remember what I told you. Whatever's up, I still have your back." 

The boy nodded. When the silence hung in the air, Matrix suggested, "Wanna go back to Andri?" 

"Yeah." 

The two quickly headed back to the blanket and the game sprite that waited for them. 

* * * 

The time had come. 

Daemon couldn't afford to wait any longer. She would have those systems she couldn't get to. The plan seemed to have some merit and it could possibly work. She hoped her messenger would come. She had gotten a glimpse of how deep their emotions ran and she figured this would be the last chance she'd be able to complete her function. 

The small virus sat on her throne, thinking. As she sat, all of her followers were breaking codes in order to get to those other systems out of her reach. So far, they had broken one of those codes. They would be traveling soon. Daemon could only hope her former followers in Mainframe would join her again. She liked those sprites. So interesting, so full of life... 

She missed them. 

* * * 

"Dot, we got a problem, Honey." 

Mouse and AndrAIa each sat at different consoles, checking reports from various systems. Without warning, four separate emergency calls came through, from three different systems. Daemon's troops had come in and were beginning to take hostages and infect some of the people. 

"On screen, Mouse." the young leader ordered. 

The overhead screen popped up so the whole room could view the layout. The previous three systems that had yet been infected were now under attack, from the reports they were getting. The most urgent ones were coming from a system that was fairly close to Mainframe. A little system named Beta. 

"If Daemon gets control of those three systems..." Phong stated. 

"I'll go." Bob replied. "I'll get a damage report and..." 

"Are you nuts?" Matrix asked. "I'm not letting you go and get yourself infected. I'll go." 

"Nuh uh." the blue guardian replied, shaking his head. "You stay, I go." 

"I'm not letting you go, Bob." the renegade insisted. "You're my nephew's father. I totally can not let you go." 

"You just got married!" Bob shot back. "You think I'm going to make your wife a widow? I really don't think so. I'm going." 

"Bob..." 

"Matrix..." 

"Boys!" Dot exclaimed, her attention momentarily taken away from the overhead. There was no way she could keep them here, but she also couldn't let those systems reaching out for help be denied._ You sacrifice a few to save the many_, she thought._ But does that mean my husband, father of our young son and my brother need to be sacrificed? _"You'll both go." she said, finally. 

"Dot?" both asked. 

"Those systems need help." she continued, turning to face them. "Ray and AndrAIa'll go with you. No heroy stuff. Just make sure everything's all right. If it's not, get those people out as fast as possible." 

The group looked at her and just nodded. Whenever Dot wanted something done, it would get done. So after making some hasty arrangements, the four sprites were about ready to go. Before leaving, Matrix pulled AndrAIa aside. "You're not going." he said, in no uncertain terms. 

"Excuse me?" 

"I don't want you to go, so don't go." he repeated. 

"Well, that's all fine and dandy, hun, but I'm going." she replied. 

"No, you are not." he growled. Sighing, he begged, "Don't, AndrAIa, please. I don't want to lose you." 

"And I don't want to lose you." she said, reaching up to cup his face. "We've made a good team in the past. We still do." 

"What about us?" he whispered. "And those plans we were making. About a family." 

"It's not going to us any good if one or both of us is out of action." 

"Exactly." he stressed. "That's why I want you to stay. Please AndrAIa. I can't lose you." 

The two were stalemate until AndrAIa sighed. "All right." she said. "But if you come back with_ one_ scratch..." 

"I'll be careful." he finished. "Promise." 

She gave him a hug, holding him tightly. "Come back to me." she whispered. "I can't make a baby by myself." 

"I'll be okay and I'm definitely coming back." he replied, lightly rubbing her stomach. He just_ had _to come back. 

* * * 

One second turned to two seconds. 

Two seconds turned to four seconds. 

A cycle. 

The whole Principal Office staff had been tense. A cycle was way too long. A disturbing message had come in from Ray, saying the whole thing had been a set up. After that, it cut off. AndrAIa had never paced so much in her life. Little Enzo ~she would have to stop thinking of him like that. He wasn't so little anymore~ was in Layzon, a nearby system where Academy registration was being held. Despite the hold Daemon had, there were some sprites who still wanted to be guardians, help those who could fight the infection. He was actually safer there than here. 

She wished she had gone with him. 

Bob and Matrix had gone with him, but then had to quickly come back when more and more reports were coming in. They hated leaving Enzo there by himself, but the boy insisted he would be all right. It was only for a second anyway. Well, it was supposed to be. They had already heard from him. He was fine, but he was now worried for the sprites that he did not see in the Principal Office and the boy wasn't dumb. 

He was certainly calmer than she was. 

She really couldn't hang around here. 

After pacing for what seemed like milliseconds, she finally got frustrated and headed back to her..._their _apartment. She never realized how much it reminded her of him. It actually reminded Matrix of Bob, it had been his apartment, after all, more than anything. But then again, he had spent time in Bob's apartment, she hadn't. So walking in, she knew it would be hard to stay in here as well. Crashing on the couch, she closed her eyes, the memory of his proposal to her on this couch, their countless millies of tv watching, having Enzo sitting between them, eating an applet sundae... 

Before long, she drifted off to sleep. 

A short time later, AndrAIa opened her eyes, feeling much better than she had. The idea to take a shower or even a nice bubble bath occurred to her, until she heard something. Sitting up, she had first thought it was her imagination, but listening again, she could definitely hear something coming from the back rooms. Standing up, the game sprite cautiously made her way towards the bedroom, and peered inside. Not seeing anyone, she thought it was her imagination, until she heard another sound coming from the bathroom. 

Unhooking her trident, she readied herself against the door. She listened, trying to figure out the intruder's movements so she could catch him off guard. Slowly, she moved her hand over the door knob. Suddenly, the inner movement stopped. Did he, or they, knew she was behind the door? Things were silent before AndrAIa threw open the door. She rolled her eyes when she saw the person she was aiming at. 

Soaking wet and wrapped in a towel, Matrix lowered his gun. 

"What're you doing here?" she demanded. 

"I live here, remember?" he shot back. 

"You scared me half...why didn't you say you were here or something?" 

"You were asleep!" he exclaimed. "I was trying not to wake you." 

"I thought you were a burglar or something." 

"AndrAIa," he said, putting Gun on the side of the sink. "I'm wet and have a towel around my waist. I'm a pretty ineffective burglar, don't you think?" Taking a step towards her, he asked, "Aren't you glad to see me?" 

"Ask me a bit later." she retorted, minimizing her weapon. "So what happened? What's up with Daemon and everything?" 

"It was a trap." the renegade stated. "There was only one system in danger and that was the one we landed in. Bob and I managed to do as little damage as possible to the infected guardians. They're a little groggy, but they should be okay." 

"But what about Daemon?" 

"Now that's a story worth telling." Matrix hiked up his towel and leaned against the sink. "The super virus herself made an appearance, right, and was trying to get to Bob. Well, out of nowhere, before she can grab him, Hex shows up. We didn't even know she had tagged along. Anyway, she and Daemon get in to, right? Talk about sibling rivalry. This was much worse than her and Megabreath. And Hex completely trashes her. I have no idea what she did, but apparently, Daemon's history." 

"Are you serious?" AndrAIa asked, incredulously. 

"I'm serious." he nodded. "I'm not_ sure, _but I'm totally serious." 

"Wow." 

"You never answered my question." he said, drawing small circles around her belly button. 

"And that question was...?" 

"If you were glad to see me." 

"I'm...slightly glad to see you." she said, giving him a grin. 

The large sprite rolled his eyes, figuring his girlfriend was actually mad at him when she delivered a kiss to his lips. A few kisses later, she laid her head on his chest. She made a face saying, "You're all wet." 

"I just took a shower, babe." he said. "Of course I'm wet." Holding her tighter, he whispered, "But I know a way you could dry me off." 

Smiling, she let go of him and walked towards the tub. "I'm going to take a shower." she said, her back turned. Looking over her shoulder, she added, "You can join me if you want." 

"But I just had a shower." 

"You can never be too clean." she replied, a seductive smile across her face. 

Matrix grinned and started to close the door. "Another shower wouldn't hurt..." 

* * * 

The minutes passed with a calming sense of peace. The news that Daemon had truly been destroyed sent happy sprites and binomes out in the streets in celebration. The time had come for those that had lived there for the two hours to leave and return to their homes and try and rebuild. The elementary school soon lost a lot of their enrollment and most of the small sprite children were leaving. 

But to one sprite, it didn't really matter. 

Enzo wasn't even in the system that second. He had finally met Bob and Matrix and the three headed off to the Super Computer. Turbo was still head and trying to get things in the system back to its normal functions, which included new quarter enrollment for the incoming students. Most of the guardians returned to their commands and posts, others simply couldn't live with themselves and their actions and just didn't return. The enrollment itself was close to nil. Enzo would be in a graduating class of fifteen at the most, but it was still alphanumeric to him. 

The small sprite was finally where he longed to be for so long. The first act, of course, was to help get all this stuff straightened out. Luckily, Daemon didn't do too much damage to the place, but it would still be a while before the Academy saw a large number of students like they had in Bob's second. But so far, it looked to be cool. Enzo just couldn't believe it. Bob and Matrix both promised they would teach something in his first hour there, so he wouldn't get too home sick and that if he needed to, he'd be able to call. 

Despite all his jitters, Enzo's dreams were finally coming true. 

* * * 

"Are you sure, Phong?" 

AndrAIa lay on Phong's examining tables. She had come in earlier becuase Dot had told her to. The game sprite had just been tired lately and not really all there. Matrix too, she realized, as she had walked into the wise sprite's office. She figured it was because they weren't used to not having Enzo around. She really missed the little guy and she knew Matrix did, too. But even she had to admit she hadn't been feeling well on top of that. 

"I am positive, young AndrAIa." Phong smiled, reading a report in his hands. 

She couldn't believe it. 

Finally, after holding off because of the basic Daemon War, she and Matrix were going to be parents. Mother and Father. Mommy and Daddy. She laid there, looking up at the ceiling, not sure if she should jump for joy or scream in excitement. A baby. They were definitely having a baby. She turned to Phong, a small grin on her face, as though she was trying to hold in her laughter. 

"You're totally sure?" she asked again. 

The wise sprite showed her the file. Everything was there, where she was at this point ~about one minute~, when she'd be due, and even the second on which it happened. AndrAIa smiled, remembering that second. She frequently wondered why she and Matrix didn't shower together more often. Handing the file back to Phong, she again looked back up at the ceiling. A baby. She really couldn't believe it. 

"Do you not think it's wise to notify the father?" he asked. 

She thought about it, turning back to him. "Yeah, I'm sure that could do some good." she said. 

Hopping off the table, she gave Phong a kiss on the cheek, and happily went to go find the father. She knew him so well and easily found him hanging around the front entrance of the Diner. He stood there with Bob and Dot and the three were talking about something when she came over. "Hey Andri." Bob greeted. 

"Hey." she replied, happily. Looking at Matrix, she said, "I have to talk to you." 

"You're in trouble." Dot joked. 

"He's not in trouble." AndrAIa giggled. "I guess I might as well tell you both anyway. I..." 

**WARNING: INCOMING GAME! WARNING: INCOMING GAME!**

"Cool." Matrix said, smiling as the purple cube started to descend. "Andri, you coming?" 

"I don't think I should do that." 

Matrix stood on his zipboard and looked at his wife in concern. "AndrAIa, this is not like you." he said. "You love going into games." 

"True," she said. "But I don't think I should this time." 

"Hey, guys?" Bob coaxed, trying to get someone to go with him. 

Matrix rose slightly higher and again looked at AndrAIa. "If something is wrong, you better tell me." 

"Nothing's wrong." AndrAIa replied, rolling her eyes. He was so protective sometimes. "I'm perfectly fine." 

"Well, then come on." 

Matrix headed off towards the game, planning to go over a small field of banner ads that lined Baudway. "Enzo, I'm pregnant!" AndrAIa shouted after him. The renegade turned in shock. Had he heard right? Did she say 'pregnant'? As in, a baby? As in_ their_ baby? Suddenly, so many things were going through his head. He had wanted to be a father and he certainly wanted a family, but at this point, he didn't think it was going to happen. And now, AndrAIa...she wife, his best friend, his baby...was indeed having a baby. His thoughts were moving slowly, playing out his role as father. The good scenario and the bad scenario. Playing with his children, ignoring them, having them say "I love you, Daddy", having them hate him, having... 

Unfortunately, as the things in Matrix's head seemed to be moving slowly, things in the real Net were not. The renegade was not looking out for himself, so when he had heard the announcement of his upcoming fatherhood, he failed to go over those banner ads. He ended up crashing through one that was for Carbon Copies. The three sprites watching this could only wince as the big sprite slammed into the ad, destroying it and flying out the other side. 

"You know that had to hurt." Bob said, shaking his head. 

* * * 

"OW!" 

AndrAIa chuckled as the roar of pain went up through out the apartment. Sitting on the bed, with one band-aid above his eyebrow, sat Matrix, wincing in pain as AndrAIa applied more antiseptic to a cloth. "Big baby." she said, smiling. Though the renegade insisted he was fine, he had been taken to the medical unit, who assured him he didn't need stitches or anything. He had some small cuts on his arms and the one above his eyebrow. "There." she said, applying the last band-aid to his upper arm. "All better. Are you sure you're okay?" 

"I am fine." he said, pulling her down to sit on his lap. "My question is, how're you? Shouldn't you be laying down or something? I know you shouldn't be standing." 

"Calm down." she giggled, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I'm okay. Don't worry so much." 

"I can't help it." he smiled. "I got two of you to worry about now." 

"With my luck, I'll have to deal with two of_ you._" she chided. "Correction. Make that three of you. I know Enzo will love knowing that." 

He traced the small ring that sat inside her belly button. "I can't believe it." he whispered. 

Kissing his temple, she whispered back, "Believe it. Daddy." 

"Do you think I'll make an okay father?" he asked. 

"You'll be a wonderful father." 

"Really?" 

She leaned back to look at him. "You haven't noticed how much you've changed since we've been back, have you?" she asked. Shaking her head, she continued. "I don't think you have. I have, so has Dot. We've noticed. I think it has a big part to do with Enzo being here. You've both changed, thanks to each other. I think being back in general, but definitely having Enzo here." When he looked at her in confusion, she elaborated. "You're not a shoot first, ask questions guy any more. Well, sometimes, but...you're not angry anymore. You like having fun, like you used to and I certainly never thought I'd see that sexy smile of yours again." 

Matrix blushed at the compliment. 

"See?" she said, smiling. "It's like...everything I fell in love with is coming back. You're returning to your old self. Sure, you're older, wiser, bigger...but that silly little kid is still there, still inside you. I think it's cause you don't hate him anymore. I remember how you didn't want to talk about the old seconds or even discuss the boy you used to be, but now... I think Enzo had a lot to do with that." 

Matrix shook his head. "Coming home had everything to do with it." he said. "I got my family back and then some." He looked at her and held her tighter. "I couldn't have come back if it wasn't for you." 

He began playing with the belly ring, a habit he had picked up after she gotten it and when they had begun their relationship. He remembered when she had gotten it, the same second he had gotten his earring. They would spend milliseconds waiting for a game to drop, lying on their bed, talking. No one was closer to him than AndrAIa. Enzo was a close second, but AndrAIa knew everything about him, everything. When it got really boring, he would play with the small ring that was nestled in her belly button. 

_"For someone who didn't want me to get this, you sure like touching it." she had said._

_"I still can't believe you did it." he said, fitting his pinky through the ring. "And I still wished you hadn't."_

_"Then stop playing with it."_

_"I can't help it if it's se...um, cute on you." inwardly cursing himself for thinking along those lines._

_"You know that tickles, don't you?" she giggled._

_"Does it?" he asked, making small circles around her navel._

_"Yes." she replied, reaching up and bringing his head down to hers._

And now this same stomach, that he still thought was incredibly sexy, would be holding their child._ Was _holding their child. He still had worries, big ones, but at least he had someone to ask advice. Christopher was about 0.2 now and he had been there when the boy had been a baby. Raising a baby couldn't be too hard, right? 

"Are you planning on telling your brother?" she asked. 

"I'll let him know tomorrow." he said, sighing. "I'll patch a call through to the Academy, have him get back to me or something. Right now, I have my mind on other things."   


  


**The renegade and the game sprite are about to be parents. Will it be a boy or girl? Will Enzo and Matrix truly start their baby making business? Will AndrAIa let them? Will Dot indeed become District Manager? Will this story makes some sense? The answers may not always be revealed at one time.**

  


**Arc 3 - Chapter 3 - Daddy Dearest**

Enzo lay in his new bedroom, in his new bed. Even though he had been there for a couple of minutes, the Guardian Academy was still new territory for him. It was a new place, with new students...the new students part especially had freaked him out a bit. He wasn't sure what he should expect. He hadn't been around little kids like him for so long ~he didn't count those refuges. All they did was beat him up every second~ he felt weird around them sometimes. But it could've been worse. 

Because of the havoc Daemon had caused, there weren't too many new students enrolled that quarter. It was Enzo and about fourteen other kids, a couple teenagers and some who were around his age. So the initial shock of being around other kids didn't seem to stay long, but he was still pretty scared. He would be here all by himself. If there was a problem, he'd have to handle it himself, he couldn't afford to be calling Bob or Matrix every time he felt scared and wanted to come home. 

Enzo would have to grow up. 

The first thing he noticed at Layson was that there were girls in his class. And cute ones at that. Matrix had noticed him staring at one and had given the boy a shove. But he couldn't help it. Bob had told him, in great detail, the stuff that would happen once he started going into puberty. The voice thing was already happening. He hated that. He was so embarrassed whenever he was around Mouse or AndrAIa and his voice hit that high peak...they shook it off, told him he was growing up and to forget about it. But he couldn't because it directly interfered with the second thing that was happening. 

He was noticing girls. 

It had been hard with just him, but he couldn't ask for better looking women to hang around than Dot, AndrAIa, and Mouse. Even Hex was pretty. It was weird trying not to notice them, but it was hard! Especially with AndrAIa. User, she was so hot. He had come to realize he just couldn't help but like her. He was Matrix, after all, and if the big guy had liked AndrAIa as a kid, surely his younger version would feel the same way. But it was a crush ~Enzo had decided that~ and just that. Andri was his sister now, just like Dot was, and now she'd be the mother of his niece or nephew. 

He had gotten a message on his organizer ~everyone at the Academy got one~ being patched from Mainframe. It was lucky he was in his room during a passing period, or else he wouldn't have gotten the message first hand. Opening the vidwindow, there was Matrix, all grins and smiles. Enzo gathered something big must've happened. It was totally rare to see the green giant give out smiles. Then he told him. 

"She's pregnant." he said, almost out of breath. "I'm gonna be a father." 

The more Enzo lay and thought about it, it was weird. Matrix as a father? He knew first hand Dot was a wonderful mother and Bob was an excellent father, but Matrix? When you came right down to it, the big guy was a bit clumsy. If the renegade was taking on games or viruses or even a horde of wild nulls, he'd be able to handle it and come out scotch free. But fatherhood? Enzo had to smirk. He could just see big, clumsy Matrix with a baby. 

But he had to smile, too. 

For everything the guy wasn't, he made up for it. Enzo had noticed the sprite had changed from the very first time he had met him to now. He was...softer had to be the word. He was still gruff, rough, and tumble on the outside, but the guy that he had been ~the boy that Enzo was now~ seemed to be showing itself again. Enzo remembered how hard it had been for Matrix to show his true emotions, other than anger, that is. Even with AndrAIa. That just wasn't a public display right there. But now, he would hug her. And Dot too. 

And he was totally playful. 

And he was smiling more. 

The boy guessed it had something to do with what happened, after he, AndrAIa, and everybody got infected by Daemon. In fact, thinking about it, everyone had changed since then. After they were infected, Bob and Dot started dating and then got married. It wasn't until Matrix got infected that he and Enzo made a turn around in their relationship. Even Mouse and Ray hung around each other a lot more than usual. Something about the way she infected...everyone was all peaceful and stuff. 

Weird. 

But he was happy for Matrix. In some way, Enzo knew he'd be a good father. He had changed for the better and certainly after marrying AndrAIa and then having him live with them had totally changed him, changed his personality. Enzo liked this new Matrix. So much in fact, he had done some rearranging of his own before he left... 

_It had been something he had toyed with, something that was applied to someone else than his previous decision. He had to find Phong. It was almost time for him to go and head over to the Super Computer. They were stopping in Layson, for obvious reasons. The little system was the new recruitment station for the Guardian Academy. They didn't dare let the young cadet wannabes in the SC. Not with Daemon running around still._

_That's why he had to find Phong._

_The whole two Enzo Matrix thing had been a problem since he came back. Aside from having Matrix stay in game sprite mode all the time, the name thing was a problem. Neither one could enter the Principal Office without someone else present. The doors would not let them in, unsure of who was who. Phong said he'd get it taken care of and he did. He had just made a first name basis for the two brothers. Over time, it served a purpose, but as Enzo was embarking on the biggest adventure of his life, he wanted to change that._

_His hour living with Matrix and AndrAIa had been fun beyond belief. He loved them just as much as Bob and Dot. He figured if anything happened to Dot and Bob ~User forbid of course~ Matrix and AndrAIa would be there for him. They were now the second pair of great parents. That's why he couldn't leave without fixing this problem. The boy finally tracked the wise sprite down in his office, having his traditional cup of cocoa._

_"Ah, young Enzo." he said, rolling over to the boy. "Aren't you supposed to be leaving for the recruitment station?"_

_"Any nano, Phong." the boy huffed, slightly out of breath from his quest. "But I needed to see you before I left."_

_"But we had talked earlier." the wise sprite replied, looking at the boy. "Is there something else you wanted to add?"_

_"I need to change my name." he said._

_Phong looked at him in surprise. "You do not like your name?" he asked._

_"Oh no, I do!" the boy insisted. "I just...I want to clear this whole two Enzos thing."_

_"But I have fixed the problem with the door."_

_"It's not that, I just..." Enzo sighed, coming to a different conclusion than he had before. "I want Matrix to have his name." he continued. "But I want it too."_

_"So how can we come up with a reasonable solution?" Phong asked._

_"He'll be the original Enzo Matrix." the boy replied. "And I'll be Enzo Matrix...Junior."_

_Phong was pleasantly surprised at this new development. He was truly overjoyed like everyone else to see that Matrix and Enzo were getting along so much better than they had before. He had heard their living arrangement now was to everyone's liking, especially the two sprites in question. "Is Matrix also happy with this?" he asked._

_"He doesn't know." Enzo said. "So don't tell him. At least not until I leave. I want it to be a surprise. I want him to really like it."_

And as far as Enzo knew, Matrix still didn't know or at least hadn't said anything about it. The boy had wanted to change his name, make it Lan instead. But he liked the last name Matrix. Dot kept it, even though she had definitely taken Bob's last name. But as leader of the system, she was Dot Matrix, Command.Com. Besides, he had another idea in order to use Bob's name. He was Bob's son, if not by association. 

* * * 

He wasn't feeling well. 

In fact, whenever AndrAIa didn't feel well, he didn't feel well. 

Phong had said he was suffering from "sympathy pains", a condition some fathers get, where they share the same symptoms as the mother to be. Matrix thought that was so cool. Ever since Matrix had heard about his up coming fatherhood, he seemed to be in a much better mood. He hadn't admitted it ~well, a small amount to Enzo~ but the big sprite missed his little brother. He actually enjoyed the time Enzo had stayed with them and now that he was gone...Matrix felt like something was missing. He always felt that way whenever he and Enzo weren't in the same system. It was going to be tough without the little guy around. 

But now that AndrAIa was pregnant...he felt a little happier than he had. Enzo had been the first person he told, on the account Bob and Dot were already there when AndrAIa had told him. Matrix had wanted to tell the boy in the first place, but he also got to check up on him, make sure his first few minutes there were going smoothly. He'd been worried that the Academy wouldn't last too long, not after this, but as he saw at Layson, there were still sprites who wanted to 'mend and defend'. 

Thinking about Enzo always made him think about his future as a father. That talk he had had with AndrAIa had made him think. He guessed he had changed since they had come back. He had gotten his family back in ten fold. When he had left, he had a sister. When he came back, he had a sister, got a little brother, then a brother in law, then a wife. And now he was becoming a father. He still couldn't believe it. 

"Ow." he grumbled, rubbing his stomach. 

"I know you can_ not _be having morning sickness." AndrAIa joked, coming to sit on his lap. 

"Phong said I had sympathy pains." 

"The only sympathy I could see is if you had this baby." 

"That's just physically impossible." the renegade stated. 

"Says you." she retorted. She laid her head on his shoulder and sighed. 

"What's wrong?" he asked, clearly alarmed. 

"It was just a sigh." she replied, annoyed with his recent actions. "We still have a ways to go, Lover." 

"Sorry." He smiled and began circling her navel with his finger. "You took the ring out." he said. 

"I kinda didn't have a choice, silly." she said. "I might have to get it pierced again." Looking up at him, she asked, "Why don't you get yours pierced, too?" 

"And why would I do that?" 

"Because you love me." 

"I don't think I love you that much." he joked. 

Sitting up, she looked at him. "You love me enough to get a tattoo, but not a belly button ring?" 

"Exactly." 

Rolling her eyes, she stood up and started to walk away. "C'mere." he said, grabbing her from behind, causing her to shriek. He pinned against the fridge and kissed her. Nuzzling her neck, he mumbled, "Do you know how happy I am?" 

"I've noticed." she said. Moving her hand under his shirt, she repeated his earlier motion. "C'mon." she murmured. "Get your belly button pierced." 

"I'll get my belly button pierced if you get my name tattooed." he shot back. 

"Well, that won't be happening." 

Giving her one last kiss to the neck, he rested his forehead against hers. "I love you so much." he said. 

"I love you more." 

"Things are finally going right." he whispered. "We're home, Bob and Dot are together, Enzo's at the Academy, we're having a baby. Nothing could..." 

"And nothing will." she finished. "Don't jinx it, Sparky." 

He winced at the nickname. "Why do you call me that when you know I hate it?" 

"Cause you look adorable when you make that little face to show how much you hate it." she teased. "I can't help it if you're cute and sexy. I bet our baby will look just like you." 

"It had better be a boy than." he joked. "I don't make a very pretty girl. Though Enzo on the other hand..." 

"Did you tell him?" she asked. 

"Yeah." he said. "They're having a break coming up, so he'll be coming home." 

"I know you're looking forward to it." 

"Aren't you?" 

"Of course." she said. "But I know how much you miss him." 

"I don't miss him that much." the renegade replied. 

"Sure you do." she said. "What did you guys talk about in the park last time?" 

"Guy stuff." 

"Uh huh. Did you tell him you loved him?" 

"AndrAIa!" he cried, scandalized. "Of course not." 

"Oh." she said, giving him a knowing smile. "So he told you?" 

"I can't believe you're asking me this." 

"Did you guys hug?" When he didn't answer, she laughed. "You did, didn't you? Oh no, maybe not at the time, but you totally hugged him." 

"Men do not hug other men!" he exclaimed, but to no avail. His wife just kept laughing. 

"You're gonna make such an adorable father." she said, kissing him lightly on the lips. 

* * * 

The minutes went by quickly and soon, Enzo was back home. He hadn't changed much. He still had that obnoxious high squeaking voice that now drove him crazy. He was still the same size and he wasn't showing any signs of facial hair growth. The boy had hoped when he returned home for the first time, he'd show some signs of maturity, but no go. 

Still, it was a great homecoming. He finally got to see AndrAIa as she started to fill out a bit. He was sitting in the Diner with the soon to be parents and Dot. The four had discussed all the things Enzo was going to be looking forward to at the Academy. Because it had just come out from under Daemon's infection, not a lot was going on. The classes were really small due to numbers, but hoped it would rise in the coming hours. Clean up was a routine for the new cadets, fixing up damaged sectors of the system. 

Enzo wished they'd get around to something fun, but he understood the measures and didn't mind them too much. 

The quartet soon switched the conversation to the baby that grew inside AndrAIa. 

"It would be neat if it was a girl." AndrAIa said. "Or maybe a boy." 

"You don't want a boy." Dot joked, winking at AndrAIa. "They have cooties." 

"Hey, if it's a boy, you can name it Enzo." Enzo piped up. 

As Matrix nodded, AndrAIa said, "No." 

"Why not?" Matrix asked. "Don't you like my name?" 

"I love your name." AndrAIa replied. "Enzo's a wonderful name, but we are not calling our son Enzo." 

"Why?" asked both. 

"Cause then there would be three of you." 

"And that's a bad thing because...?" Matrix wondered. 

"There would be_ three _of you named Enzo." AndrAIa stressed. "Don't you think that would be a bit confusing?" 

"There's already two of us." Enzo said. "We'll just call him something else other than Enzo." Suddenly, an idea struck the boy. "Wouldn't it be cool if the Net was covered in Enzos?" he asked. 

"No." Dot said, shaking her head. 

"Now, wait a nano." Matrix replied. "This could work." 

"See, if AndrAIa had a boy or even better, twins, and they had kids and their kids had kids and so on and so on and then they named their sons Enzos..." the boy trailed off, thinking of the infinite possibilities. 

"That would be cool." Matrix breathed. "You can never have too many Enzos." 

"That could be our motto." 

"I really don't believe this." the game sprite muttered. 

"We could start our own business." Enzo continued. "Matrix Infinity, we'll call it." 

"I like that idea." Matrix nodded. "It's fresh, it's inventive, it's creative..." 

"It's scary." Dot replied. 

"Not to mention very weird." AndrAIa piped up. 

"Come on, Dre!" Enzo exclaimed. "You could be missing out on a fantastic opportunity here." 

"We'll make you Vice President." Matrix added. 

"Aw, I wanted to be Vice President." Enzo whined, folding his arms across his chest. 

"Dude, this was your idea." the big sprite whispered. "You're like the founder. It automatically makes you president." 

"Oh!" The boy uncrossed his arms. 

"This is really random, even for the two of you." Dot spoke up. This had to be the oddest, if not weirdest conversation... 

"We'll make you District Manager." Matrix supplied. 

Dot's face seemed to brighten. "District Manager?" she asked, ideas already forming in her head. AndrAIa turned to look at her, shocked that her own sister could even think this was an idea. "Gee, that really sounds..." One look at Andri, and Dot quickly said, "No! No, of course not! That's crazy!" 

"Aw, come on, girls." Matrix said, a hint of laughter in his voice. "We're just joking." 

"We are?" Enzo asked. 

"Yes!" Matrix said, looking at his brother strangely. 

"Oh yes, of course we are." He gave a nervous laugh and quickly looked away. 

"Despite that really weird conversation," AndrAIa replied. "It does bring up names and such." 

"Like Enzo?" the boy asked. 

AndrAIa was going to say no, but then shook her head. "What if we have a girl?" she asked. 

The two Enzos sat and thought about it. Finally, Enzo said, "You can call her Enzetta." 

Even Matrix had to look at the boy. "Enzetta?" he asked. 

"Do you have a better idea?" 

Matrix thought about it and said, "Matrice." 

"Hey, that is good." his brother praised. 

"You guys are making me regret having this baby." AndrAIa told them. 

"Relax, Dre." the boy replied. "We're just playing." 

"We are?" Matrix asked. 

"Yes..." 

"I knew that." the renegade said, turning away quickly. 

AndrAIa looked back and forth between Matrix and Enzo. User help her if she did have a boy. She was really pulling for a girl now and hopefully it would be more like her than the father and uncle. 

* * * 

"Dude, you've gotten big." 

Enzo sat in what used to be his living room, playing with his small nephew. Christopher was walking now and even saying a few words. He looked just like Bob, except smaller and more clumsy. The boy giggled as Enzo tickled him. Enzo couldn't believe this little toddler had been the little baby only an hour ago. Enzo didn't think of him as his nephew. He was like a little brother almost. 

"Hey, little man, did you miss me?" 

Christopher cooed and giggled as Enzo picked him up and sat him down on the couch. The small boy grabbed his bottle and handed it to Enzo, saying "Wa." 

"You want more juice?" Enzo asked. The boy nodded. "Okay, come on." 

Taking the boy by the hand, the two ventured into the kitchen. Enzo was in the fridge when Bob came from the back rooms. "Hey Enzo." he greeted, picking up his son from the floor. "Are you being good for Enzo?" he asked the boy. "Huh?" 

"I'm just getting him some more juice." Enzo said, handing the baby back his bottle. Christopher quickly stuck it in his mouth and began to drink. "I can't believe how big he's gotten." 

"I can't believe how big_ you've _gotten." the guardian smiled. 

"Me?" Enzo asked. "But I'm still the same size. I haven't gone through any of the stuff you said I would, except that voice thing. That's so annoying." 

"Enzo, you don't grow into an adult over night, you know." Bob chuckled. 

"Yeah, that's what Matrix said, too." 

Pulling out a chair, Bob sat down, bouncing the baby on his leg. Enzo pulled out the other chair and sat down. "I know you want to be an adult as fast as possible, but you have to let things take their course." Bob continued. "Believe me, you'll enjoy what little time you have left as a kid. You can't go back." 

"I guess you're right." the boy sighed. 

"How's the Academy going?" Bob asked, shifting Christopher to his other leg. 

"So far, pretty boring." the boy said. "But they said things might pick up next quarter. Right now, we're doing basic stuff, like Ancient Languages. I thought I joined the Academy to be a guardian!" 

"There's more to being a guardian than just games, Enzo." Bob replied. "I thought we talked about that." 

"I know, Bob, we did." he sighed again. "I wished Daemon hadn't screwed everything up. Everything's really slow paced and small. I hope more people come in next quarter." 

"Don't worry, Little Man." Bob replied. "Things will definitely pick up. There're still games to play, virus to defeat, anything can happen. Just have a little faith, huh?" 

Enzo smiled. Bob could always make him feel better. He poked little Christopher in the side, causing the baby to coo. "Have some faith, Sprout." he told the boy. "Did you know you'll have someone else to play with? Huh? Yep, that big green guy's having a kid just like you." 

_And he'll make a good father, too._

* * * 

Enzo returned to his shared apartment with Matrix and AndrAIa. It wasn't too late, but he knew the game sprite would probably be in bed. She needed her rest after all. Enzo had wanted to say good night, but he was still playing with Christopher before he realized the time. So when he arrived at his digs for his stay, he wasn't surprised to see Matrix lying on the couch, watching TV. 

"Hey little bro." he greeted, turning to see his younger brother plop down on the floor in front of him. 

"Hey Big Me." he said, sitting on the floor and leaning back on the couch. "Whatcha watching?" 

"Some documentary on nulls, with Mike as the host." he said, making a small grimace. "Why I'm still watching it, I have no idea." Looking at the clock in the kitchen, he said, "You're kinda home late." 

"I was talking to Christopher." the boy giggled. "He's getting so big now, you know? He was all little before." 

"Kinda like you?" Matrix joked. 

Enzo just swatted him. 

"How long are you staying?" 

"Not very." Enzo sighed. "It's a kinda short break. I think I leave tomorrow, so I can be back for classes." 

"But dude, you just got here!" the renegade exclaimed. 

"I know." 

The two were quiet, watching Mike's camera crew run from a swarm of nulls they found under a box in an alley. 

"Dude, I can't believe you're going to be a father." Enzo said. 

"Me either." the renegade replied. "And I can tell you I'm totally scared here." 

"Really?" Enzo asked, surprised. 

"Yeah." the big sprite said. "I don't know anything about being a father. I really don't want to screw this up." 

"I don't think you can screw up fatherhood." 

"How would you know?" Matrix asked. 

"I just do, okay?" 

Matrix shook his head. "Do you think I'll be okay, Enzo?" he asked. "As a father I mean." 

"You'll do fine." the boy said. He turned around and looked at his older brother. "You got Bob, right? And me. We'll help!" 

Matrix chuckled. He had forgotten how excited he could get, even at the littlest things. Putting the boy in a headlock, he said, "So you're gonna help, huh? Not much to do in a headlock." 

Enzo struggled to get out, opting to hit Matrix's ticklish spot instead. The renegade let go, letting out a surprised yelp. Getting up, he started chasing the young boy around, through the kitchen and hallway and back into the living room, where he tackled the boy on the couch and began tickling him. The two didn't notice anything until AndrAIa cleared her throat. 

"What're you two doing?" she asked, sleepily. 

"Nothing." they said in unison. 

The game sprite rolled her eyes. With these two in her apartment, she'd never get any sleep. Matrix went over to kiss her good night, while Enzo bonded over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Good night, boys." she replied, smiling. "Be good, okay?" 

"We will." they called. 

"Isn't time for you to go to bed or something?" Matrix asked, as Enzo took a seat on his lap. 

"Probably." the boy yawned. "Can't I stay up a little longer though?" 

"You're not a little kid anymore." he said. "If you think you can handle it." 

Enzo leaned back, resting his head on his brother's shoulder. "You'll be a good dad, Enzo." he said, yawning again. "You'll see." 

"Thanks, little bro." Matrix replied. 

* * * 

The next few minutes were a little hectic. Matrix and Bob spent time putting up a crib ~it only took them five milliseconds to do it~ and decorating the spare room into a nursery. It was actually Matrix who wanted to decorate the room. But he wasn't sure if they'd be having a boy or girl, so he hadn't painted the room yet. He had two buckets sitting near the door, one blue, one pink. As a father to be, he had gone out and gotten as many toys he could, so the room was filled with teddy bears and toy cars, dolls and footballs. 

AndrAIa's stomach was growing bigger and bigger every second. Matrix was awed by the whole experience. With Dot, he had been excited they were having a child, but it was his nephew. It wasn't _his._ This was_ his _daughter or son growing inside of_ his _wife. Sometimes he would lay in bed and just watch her sleep. It had been something he had started in their time in the games. They had always shared a bed, even when they hadn't been together. As they grew up, he noticed how she got more and more beautiful with each passing second. 

He still had worries and doubts, but at least he could always go to Bob or Dot. 

In fact, he had. He had talked to both of them. 

The first time was when he walked into the Diner one morning. He had found himself alone in bed and had immediately gotten up to find AndrAIa. She had always been an early riser anyway, but with her being pregnant, he worried constantly. So he had gone to the Diner to see if she was there. Of course she was, sitting with Bob and Dot in a booth. She seemed happy enough. He had gone over and said, "Hi." 

She got up crying and ran into the kitchen. 

_"Matrix, sometimes you are so mean." replied Dot, who got up and went after her sister._

_The renegade had been severely confused. "Have a seat, Enzo." Bob requested._

_Taking a seat across from Bob, he asked, "Did I do something wrong? I did something wrong, didn't I?"_

_"Don't worry about it." Bob replied. "It's just hormones, that's all. She'll be all right."_

_"Bob, I keep thinking I'm doing something wrong." the big sprite confessed. "Like, I'll say something and she'll get all mad at me."_

_"Babies cause weird things to happen." the guardian said. "It doesn't mean she's stopped loving you. We were just talking about you when you walked in. All good, too."_

_"I don't know if I'm ready for this, Bob."_

_"Enzo," he started. "Becoming a parent is one of the most challenging and life altering things that could happen. Nothing prepares you for it. Believe me, if I could've taken a baby class in the Web, my life would be great right now. But that's not how life works. You have to learn as you go. I didn't teach you everything I could've, but you turned out all right. I'm so proud of you, Enzo."_

_The renegade looked up, slightly surprised at the guardian's declaration. "You mean that?" he asked._

_"What is it with you Matrixes and doubting my word?" he joked. "Yes, I mean that. You've done a lot and gone through so much and you still came out on top. You mended and defended this system to the best of your abilities at the age of one-one. You survived the games and found your code mate. You found me and brought me home. The list is too random to go through completely. And see? Now everything's the way it should be. Everything's right."_

_"I know, but sometimes..." the large sprite sighed. "This is something way over my head."_

_"You'll be fine." Bob reassured. "You're my best friend, Enzo." He shook his head and said, "You're more than that. You'll be all right, don't be a null worrying about it all the time. Besides, I bet AndrAIa's freaking out as much as you are."_

_"You think so?"_

_"I'm a guardian, I know everything."_

_ Dot stood at the kitchen door, motioning for Matrix to come over. "Your wife wants to see you." she said. Matrix looked at Bob, who gave the young sprite a wink. Matrix smiled._

_"Thanks, Bob."_

The second was with Dot. She basically reiterated what she had said when he and AndrAIa had gotten married, but he needed to hear it. He needed to be reassured that he wasn't going to make a mess of things like he had as a guardian. It still haunted him, even now, and it seemed to haunt everything he ventured into. He was still thinking when AndrAIa cuddled up to him. "Shouldn't you be asleep?" she asked. 

"I was watching you sleep." he whispered. "Why aren't you asleep?" 

"You weren't snoring." she quipped. "You're thinking." 

"Yes I am." 

"About what?" 

"You. Us. The baby." 

"Only three things?" she asked, a small smile on her face. "That must be a record." Moving so she could see him, she asked, "So what about me, and us, and the baby?" 

"Are you scared?" he asked. 

"Of course I am." she said. Seeing the look on his face, she giggled. "This is my first baby, too, you know. Anything can go wrong. I don't want that to happen of course, but things happen sometimes." 

"I can't help but worry about you." he said. "I know I probably worry too much. I must be hanging out with Dot." 

"It's excessive, but I'd be worried if you weren't worried." 

Matrix sighed. AndrAIa always could make him feel better. "Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?" he whispered. 

"No I'm not." she said. "I'm a big, fat blob." 

"You are not a blob." he replied, kissing her temple. 

"But I'm big and fat?" she asked, suspiciously. 

"You're none of the above." he corrected. He had to be very careful with what he said around her. "You're gorgeous." 

"You're just saying that." she replied, snuggling deeper in his embrace. She started to drift back to sleep, when she sighed deeply. 

"What's a matter?" Matrix asked, pulling away from her slightly to look at her. 

"Shh." she said, grabbing his hand and placing it on her stomach. "Feel." 

Just as he was about to ask what she was doing, he felt something. Her stomach moved. More precisely, something _inside _her stomach moved. He looked at his hand in confusion, then at her, then back at his hand. "How'd you do that?" he asked. 

"It wasn't me." she giggled. "It's the baby." 

Matrix's mouth dropped in awe. He couldn't believe it. He could actually feel the little life inside pushing against her stomach. And from the feel of it, the kid was going to be pretty strong. 

"She's saying, 'stop being a worry null, Daddy'." AndrAIa joked. 

He looked at her, a small grin on his face. "You know it's going to be a girl, don't you?" he asked. Any time she referred to the baby, she'd call it a 'her'. Matrix knew she wanted a girl. 

"I have no idea what it's going to be." she replied. "Knowing my luck, we'll have a boy who's just as bad as you are." She rested her hand on top of his, feeling the small excitement dwindle from inside her. "Would you be mad if it was a girl?" she asked. 

"No." he said. "But I don't know anything about raising girls." 

"That's what I'm for." she teased. 

"Does it hurt?" he asked. "When she kicks?" 

"It's a bit uncomfortable." she said, almost missing his slip. "You think we're having a girl, don't you?" she quipped. 

"Personally, I'm holding out for twins." he joked and was swatted in the chest. 

* * * 

The first six minutes of the first quarter went by so slowly for Enzo. Soon, it was another vacation and he got to go back home for at least two minutes. It was really great. He played with Christopher, hung out with Matrix, and watched as AndrAIa got bigger and bigger. He couldn't get his arms around her like he could before. But he got to feel her tummy as the baby kicked. That had been cool. AndrAIa had laughed. 

She said he had the same expression on his face that Matrix did when he first felt it. 

It was really great to be home, even if the stay seemed to go by fast. But he'd be home for the summer. AndrAIa's doctor said she would probably be delivering around that time, so Enzo would get to be there for it. He hoped it wouldn't be as random as Dot's delivery. That was just weird. But it was a cool story to tell your friends. Enzo wished he had been initialized on the Saucy Wench. 

Enzo headed back for the second quarter of his first hour as a guardian cadet. 

He was completely surprised. 

The first quarter class of fifteen cadets, including him, had ballooned to at least a hundred something kids the second quarter. He couldn't believe it. He was now surrounded by more kids than he had imagined and those same fears were coming back. He had gotten to know some of his classmates, some of whom he hung out with at lunch. He really wanted these other kids to like him. He didn't want to go through the Daemon war ordeal all over again. 

He couldn't help noticing all the girls that were coming in too. He guessed he figured most guardians were guys. He hadn't really seen any girl guardians, so when these new arrivals of girls ~and really really cute ones at that~ started arriving, Enzo couldn't help but take notice. And they were different sizes. Short, tall, young, older, blondes, brunettes, all different kinds of shapes and sizes. Some girls were really developed, like Dot or AndrAIa, some didn't look old enough for that to happen. 

Enzo just liked looking at them all. 

He especially liked now that more of them were in his classes. He had been talking to Johnny Prose, a young cadet who about an hour older than he was, and who sat behind him in their technique class. The two had hoped to be roommates next hour. With more young cadets coming in, the individual dorm rooms would go to the RAs and the cadets would have to share. The two were talking about all the cute girls as the bell rang. Their instructor told them to be quiet, but before he could continue, a late student walked in. 

Enzo was floored. 

She looked very shy and slightly embarrassed for walking in late, but the instructor just smiled and told her to come in and take a seat. As she headed towards the row Enzo was seated in, things started moving slowly. She was dressed in her uniform, medium brown hair swinging in a ponytail behind her. There seemed to be a glow of light all around her as she came over and sat down next to him. 

Enzo was still staring at her as she brought out her organizer. She turned and smiled at him, her dark blue eyes dancing along with her face. Enzo gave a shy smile back and turned around to face the instructor. He really couldn't think about anything else through the whole class ~if it hadn't been for the smack on the back of his head by Johnny, Enzo would've missed roll call~ all he could think about was the pretty, nameless girl that sat next to him. Johnny had sent an email to the boy via his organizer, telling him to ask the new girl out. 

Enzo wrote back that his friend was crazy. 

He had never been on a date before. He had never been around adolescent girls before, either. He couldn't possibly ask this girl out, no matter how pretty he thought she was. Truth was, he had never really talked to a girl before, at least not one that was like this. She looked...unapproachable. And Enzo was just scared. So when class finished, he was just going to get up and head for the cafeteria for lunch. He was going to leave and see the pretty girl some other time. Just as he got up, she dropped something. 

He bent down and handed it back to her. 

"You...you dropped this." he stumbled. 

"Thank you." she said, taking the object from him. 

"So...so...um, I guess you're new, huh?" he asked, wincing as his voice leaped an octave higher. 

"Is it that obvious?" she asked, standing and gathering her stuff. 

They were the same height, she was maybe slightly taller than him, but not by much. She turned to him, her ponytail moving as she did. "You know I have lunch next and I have no idea where the cafeteria is." She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. 

"I could show you." he blurted, shocked that he had even said anything. 

"Would you?" she asked. "I'd appreciate it. I'm Alex, by the way." she extended her hand. 

Enzo took it feebly, noticing how really soft and smooth it was. It wasn't clammy like his seemed to be. "Hi." he said, after a nano. 

"Hi." she giggled, coming closer to him. "And you are?" 

"I'm...uh..." 

He was dumbstruck. He had totally forgotten his name. There were so many forces hitting him all at once. She still had his hand in hers and now she looking at him with those beautiful blue eyes. They were face to face now and Enzo could smell the combination of shampoo and perfume coming from her, the deadly combination making him very intoxicated. His processor went blank as he tried desperately to answer her question._ What in the Net was his name? _Sprout? Little Man? Tiger? Sweetie? Grrr! _What was it?_

"Hey Enzo!" Johnny called, standing by the door with a few of his friends. "You coming to lunch or what?" 

"That's it!" he exclaimed, turning back to look at her. "That's my name! It's...it's...it's Enzo." 

Alex giggled again. "It's nice to meet you, Enzo." she said. 

"Yeah." he breathed, taking in all of her beauty. Shaking his head, he said, "I mean, it's a pleasure. You meeting me. I mean, me meeting you, that is." He swallowed hard. 

Smiling, she grabbed her things and walked passed him and towards the door. "So you gonna show me the cafeteria or what?" she asked. Enzo merely nodded, hastily grabbing his gear and following her out the door. 

* * * 

Ever since that second, Enzo had been in the best mood possible. He had eaten with Alex during lunch and told her he'd show her around if she'd like. He couldn't believe he had been so bold as to ask, but she agreed and they set a time and place to meet later that second. Enzo couldn't get over how much she reminded him of AndrAIa. It wasn't like she was the same, just the way she made him feel. 

He had even started to grow his hair long. 

Well, not too long. 

It was already growing, slightly and he was planning on getting it cut. He had this one little tail piece though at the base of his hair line that Alex thought was cute. She told him not to cut it, so he didn't. He got the sides shaved a little at the barbershop in town, but kept the little thin line there. She had even braided it for him, telling him not to take it out. So he didn't, just because she said so. 

His return made him happy as well. 

AndrAIa would be delivering around now. 

He was so excited. He wanted to know if it would be a boy or girl and he was becoming just as anxious as Matrix was. The two would not leave the game sprite alone. Finally, she had to get Frisket to act as a bodyguard to keep them away from her. The two got the hint ~just barely~ and backed off a little. Phong said it could be any second, so AndrAIa thought it would be good if she spent_ more _time at the Principal Office, that way she'd be near the M.U. 

The second was going pretty well. AndrAIa sat at her console, looking at readings, Matrix and Enzo stood in front of her, staring intensely at her. 

"If you two don't stop that..." she said, not bothering to look up. "It's really freaking me out, okay?" 

"We just want to make sure you're all right." Matrix said. 

She finally looked up. "I'll be fine once you two leave me alone." she griped. 

The two sighed, Enzo out of reluctance, Matrix out of annoyance. They both turned to go and find something else to do when AndrAIa took an intake of breath. Dot looked at her. AndrAIa looked back at her. "Um..." she said, placing a hand on her stomach. "Would someone open a vidwindow to the medical unit?" 

"Why? What's wrong?" Bob asked. 

"Um...I think we're having a baby here." she said. 

"Right." Matrix said. He and Enzo started forward to open a window... 

And ran into each other. 

"Matrix..." 

"Enzo..." 

"Guys..." AndrAIa said, breathing a bit faster now. 

"Look," Matrix said to his brother. "You call the medical unit. I will call the doctor." 

The boy nodded and the two started off again... 

Just to run into each other once more. 

"Enzo!" they both exclaimed. 

"I have just called the M.U." Dot said, addressing both brothers. "Crisis solved." 

"Right." Matrix nodded. "I will take AndrAIa to the M.U." 

"Why do you get to do everything?" Enzo complained. 

"She's my wife." 

"She's my sister." the boy shot back. "And you know, with circumstances, she's kinda my wife too." 

"No, no, no, no." Matrix wagging a finger in front of the boy's face. "We've been over this. Why must you continue...?" 

"I just don't think it's fair you get to do everything." Enzo said, over topping his brother's question. 

The two continued to argue as AndrAIa shook her. "No, no." she murmured over the argument, as Bob and Dot helped her out of her chair. "I think I can make to the medical unit just fine, but thank you so much for your help." It was a normal, every second fight, so no one in the office bothered to alert the boys they were leaving. So when Matrix looked around, the two were all alone. 

"Hey, where'd everybody go?" he asked, looking around. 

Enzo shrugged and noticed AndrAIa was gone as well. "Where'd AndrAIa go?" he asked. 

The two began to look around the office, under the consoles, in little cabinets, in plant pots, calling the game sprite's name, but couldn't find her anywhere. They searched for about five microseconds before they looked at each other. "I don't think she's here." Enzo announced. 

"Really, Sherlock?" Matrix asked, sarcastically. 

A vidwindow popped up, Bob's blue face appearing on the other side. "If you gentleman would like to join us, I believe AndrAIa really needs her husband right now." 

Matrix smacked himself in the face. He couldn't believe he hadn't thought of the M.U. "We'll be right down." he said, as he and Enzo ran out of the room. 

The two ran at full speed, nearly running over poor Hack and Slash, who had been sent to find them. When they skidded into the medical unit waiting area, they almost collided with Phong, who narrowly stepped aside to miss them. Bob called out a room number as the two passed him and ran down the hall. A few nanos later, they came running in the opposite direction. They stopped when they saw Dot leaving the emergency room, both bombarding her with questions. 

"Calm down." she said, holding them both off. "Baby's down the hall, Mom is in room 106. Down that way." 

Enzo and Matrix looked at each other, making a silent conversation. Matrix headed down the hall to 106, while Enzo ventured back with Dot to where Bob and Christopher waited for them. Coming to room 106, Matrix opened the door slowly, not wanting to disturb anything. "Come in, Enzo." came the soft reply. He poked his head in and saw her. She looked exhausted, but smiled when she saw him. 

"Hey." he whispered, taking a seat in a nearby chair. 

"Hey." she whispered back. "Have you seen the baby yet?" 

"Not yet." he said. "I wanted to see you first. Sorry for not being here. I'm already starting off bad." 

She reached up and cupped his face. "I still love you." she said, finishing the sentence with a yawn. 

Turning to kiss her hand, he took it then kissed her lightly on the lips. "I should probably let you sleep." She gave a tired nod, closing her eyes and snuggling down into bed. He watched her for a few nanos more, before kissing her again and taking his leave. 

* * * 

Matrix sat back, watching his wife sleep peacefully in her little bed. He had been here since the last time he had seen their newly initialized baby. A girl. He had figured it anyway, but to actually see the little sprite, wrapped in a little towel softened his heart every time he saw her. She looked like AndrAIa, too. Tan skin, the same cute freckles on each of her cheeks. Her hair was a little bit darker and she had those violet eyes given to her by her father. Matrix and Enzo had stood on the other side of a glass window, looking at her. 

He had come back to her room, to find her still sleeping. He kicked himself for not being here when he should've. He sighed, once again looking over at the beautiful, sleeping face of his lover and wife. He couldn't be happier though. He felt...peaceful. Almost the same kind of peace he felt after he had been infected. He wasn't angry ~at himself, maybe~, he wasn't displeased. He was very very happy. 

The creaking of the door alerted the big sprite. He had automatically went to his hip, prepared to use it if the intruder wasn't supposed to be there. He relaxed though when he saw the visitor. Enzo, still in his guardian uniform, but without his boots, came slipping and sliding into the room. He looked sleepy and made a beeline for the renegade's lap. "Shouldn't you be in bed?" Matrix asked, wrapping his arm around the boy's waist. 

"I wanted to see if Andri woke up." he said in a yawn. 

"Well, as you can see, she's still asleep." 

"Have you seen Sabrina again?" he asked, leaning back and resting his head on the large sprite's shoulder. 

"Yeah." Matrix said, smiling in spite of himself. "She's beautiful, huh?" 

"She looks like AndrAIa." 

"I know." He looked over at his little brother, noticing for the first time he had cut his hair. "You cut your hair." he said, ruffling it up a bit. 

"It was getting long, so I got it cut a little." 

"And this little piece of hair back here?" 

"Well...I thought it looked cool." the boy said. 

"Braided it yourself, huh?" 

"No, Alex did...it..." Enzo shot his brother a look before closing his eyes. 

"You can tell me about her tomorrow." the renegade grinned, also closing his eyes. 

AndrAIa awoke at her usual time the next morning. She was still in some pain, but it was worth it. That little face she had seen yesterday was adorable. The first thing that struck her were those eyes, definitely something she had gotten from Enzo. She was so tiny in her arms and she squirmed a bit, still crying. After she calmed down, she had drifted off to sleep. Sabrina. They had decided on that for a girl. She was finally here. 

Turning over, she smiled. Sitting in a chair, sat Matrix. Eyes closed and snoring softly. In his lap was Enzo, reclining against his brother, eyes closed, and also snoring softly. It was the cutest thing she had seen since initializing her own baby. If Sabrina was anything like those two, she was going to have a lot on her hands. 

* * * 

Matrix got up one night, thirsty. Really thirsty. He had laid in bed, not wanting to get up, but he was really thirsty. Every time he got up, he had to check on the baby. And every time he checked on the baby, she cried. That would cause AndrAIa to get up and see what was the matter. Then Matrix would feel terrible for waking both Sabrina and AndrAIa. The small bundle of loud crying had only been in the apartment for a minute and already the two were losing sleep. The game sprite needed the sleep, so when Matrix felt this sudden urge for a drink, he didn't want to get up. 

He couldn't help it though. He was really thirsty. So moving out of bed, without waking AndrAIa, he ventured into the kitchen for a glass of water. He was going back to bed when that urge to check on the baby hit him. He hated that urge. But he wanted to see her. He hadn't seen her since feeding time that afternoon. Working up his courage, he peeked into the nursery. 

It was dark, with only the sound of a little wind up toy in the air. He and Bob had painted the room with little pink and blue bunnies. He figured they might have a boy sometime, so why repaint the whole room? In the middle sat the crib and in it was the little joy of his life. He tiptoed over and looked in. She was resting peacefully, all snug in her purple jammies ~both Matrix and AndrAIa hated the color pink~ and her little green blanket lay around her waist. Matrix just couldn't get over how small and tiny she was. 

But she was beautiful. 

As he went to tuck the blanket back around her, she started to whimper. 

"Shh, shh." he said, trying to calm her down. "Don't cry." he pleaded. "If you cry, Mommy will wake up and she'll see I'm in here." 

Sabrina paid no attention to her father's desperate pleas to stop her outburst and continued to whimper loudly. Matrix was becoming really panicked. He hadn't held her, afraid he dropped her or hurt her in some way. He was totally afraid to touch her, every time he got near, she'd cry. Kinda like what she was doing now. Kinda like what the renegade was planning on doing himself. He wasn't sure what to do. 

If he continued to let her cry, AndrAIa would wake up. 

If he picked her up, she'd probably slip out his fingers and fall to the floor. 

If he cried along with her, chances were AndrAIa wouldn't soothed him. 

Taking a deep breath, he reached into the crib. 

When he picked her up, she cried louder than she had been. He knew this was a bad sign. Holding her to his bare chest, he hoped she would stop. Soon, her crying went back down to a whimper and then she was quiet. He couldn't believe it. He looked down at her and said, "You stopped crying." 

She moved her head, laying it back over the soothing sound of his heart. She had gotten scared and the sound had calmed her. Matrix stared down at her. "User, you're really tiny." he whispered. She looked up at him and cooed softly, causing the renegade to smile at her. She melted his heart every time he got near her. He held her for a few more nanos before he went to place her back. 

But as soon as she was away from him, she started to whimper again. 

He held her back against him, where she soon calmed back down. "Guess you don't want to go back, huh?" he asked, bouncing her slightly. "Well, we gotta go somewhere where we won't wake Mommy. Come on." Still holding her, he left the room and headed for the living room. On his way, he peeked in on AndrAIa, who had substituted a pillow for him in his absence. He smiled and closed the door to a crack. 

He laid down on the couch, making sure Sabrina was all right. She shifted somewhat and made another whimper before she settled her head back on his chest. Listening to the rhythmic sound his heart made, she soon started to drift back to sleep. Matrix lay there, one hand behind his head, the other placed on the baby's back. "You know you scare me to deletion." he said. "You have me on pins and needles sometimes. But you're worth it. You're my little baby, Angelface. Always will be." 

He looked down and saw her little face slept in somber. 

"I know a song about you." he whispered. "Your Aunt Dot wrote it for me when I had my first birthday. Well, I guess it's not exactly about you, per say, but..." He looked down at her again, her little hand curled up in a ball on his chest. He wasn't sure what possessed him, but he started singing, softly, like AndrAIa did when she put Sabrina to bed. "You're the best and it shows, all the rest don't even come close. Yes, it's true. There's no one like you, you're alphanumeric." Kissing the top her head, he whispered, "I love you, Angelface." and soon drifted off to sleep.   
  


**Growing up is hard to do, whether you're a baby or an adolescent. Big surprises come in many forms, some good, some down right horrible. You have reached the final chapter in this arc. Growing pains can be a big pain in the...******

**Disclaimer: Due to certain themes in this story, I am recommending a PG-13 rating. Thanks to Dan Green for input. Thank you Danny Boy! :)**

**Arc 3 - Chapter 4 - Growing Up Matrix**

Not again. 

Enzo woke up in a state of shock, small beads of sweat lined his forehead. He had done it again. He glanced over at his roommate, hoping he hadn't heard the horrible, awful things he had been muttering in his sleep and the bad, bad thing he'd been doing under his covers of warmth. 

It happened every time he thought about Alex. Since that first second, the two had really become inseparable in the last couple of minutes. They spent a lot of time together, laughing and joking. They were so close, people thought they were dating, to which both would blush and stammer out a feeble "no." His seconds with Alex were the best, but when he got home and went to sleep, the nightmare would begin. 

It wasn't exactly a nightmare. The dreams were wonderful, they really were, but they made him think bad things. Enzo knew Alex was a good girl and wouldn't go for anything like that and he_ certainly _wasn't the kind of guy to press his advantage, but he couldn't help it. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her. He had her face and mannerisms memorized to the smallest detail. That's what made these dreams so very wrong. In them, he'd be perfectly at ease with her and everything felt wonderful to him, but as soon as they got a bit...racy, he'd shoot up in bed, horrified at what he was doing and thinking. 

Worse yet, he couldn't control it. 

And that's what made him mad and frustrated. He had never had this problem before, but now anything would set him off. Literally! He'd be in class and a breeze would hit his arm and he'd immediately need to hide behind his desk. As soon as it happened, he'd be so uncomfortable that he'd turn red in the face, incredibly embarrassed. And it was causing him some pain as well. If he was like that for too long, he'd start to cramp up. He had gotten so paranoid lately... 

Taking a couple more deep breaths, the young cadet sat up for a while, afraid to go back to sleep. At least he was dry this time. He didn't even want to think about _that _! Looking at his organizer, he saw he only had a couple of milliseconds of sleep before he'd have to get up and go to class._ Class...spam, that's right, _he thought. Alex would need his notes for game theory and technique. She was meeting with an advisor or something and she'd be missing class. Of course she would ask him to take notes for her and she'd get them later that night. They'd be studying for a test in Ancient Languages, too. Enzo felt like crying. He'd delete if this happened around her. The thought made him want to delete right there. 

He made a small whimper before reluctantly laying back down. 

* * * 

In the millies Enzo had been awake and at school, he was dreading seeing Alex. Luckily, he didn't see her at all. His second went almost Alex free the whole way. Soon, he started to relax and calm down a bit. After class, he hung out in the gym for a while, just doing weights and stuff that Matrix had taught him and then he played in Nullbie's Lounge, a large rec room for the cadets that had pool tables, pinball machines, arcade games, game simulators, and jukeboxes. There were couches around and even a large screen TV where some of the older students could watch the football or baseball games. 

Finally, Enzo headed back to his dorm and used his icon to get in to his room. He found a note from his roommate, Peter Win, saying he and some friends were out on the town and had a list of places they would be in case Enzo would like to join them. Enzo liked Peter. He was kinda quiet and shy, but when you got to know him, he was a class clown almost. Very neat and tidy, their room was the picture of a neat and clean cadet dorm room. Crumpling the note and making a three point shot in the waste basket, Enzo went over to his bed and started to work on his homework for the second. Before he got through the first paragraph, there was a knock on his door. Wondering who it could be, he got up and opened the door to find... 

_Her._

She was still dressed in her guardian uniform, but her hair was now down around her shoulders. She offered him a smile, noticing the surprise look on his face. "I did say I was coming over to get those notes and we do need to study for that test tomorrow." she said, leaning against the door frame. Enzo just stared at her, eyes wide, mouth hanging open. "So, are you going to let me come in or do you want to study out in the hall?" 

Enzo made a motion with his mouth, trying to say that she could come in, but he only got inaudible sounds and air. He moved aside and let her walk in. She closed his mouth with one finger and headed towards his desk. Enzo closed the door slowly, gulping as he did. He could already feel uneasy about the whole evening. Maybe uneasy wasn't the word. Queasy. That was more like it. Alex watched as he slowly turned to her, but kept his eyes on the floor. "Enzo, is something wrong?" she asked, growing slightly concerned. 

"Nothing's wrong." he said, squeaking on every other syllable. 

She gave him a soft smile before taking both of his hands in hers. "You're not mad that I came over, are you?" she asked, quietly. 

_Don't look in her eyes, don't look in her eyes! _he told himself. Looking up, he was caught in her trap and melted. She had a way of doing that to him. "No." he replied, barely a whispered. He cleared his throat and said, "No. I just...I guess I'm not looking forward to that test tomorrow." 

She laughed a little, causing Enzo's heart to skip a beat. "Come on," she said, tugging on his hands. "We've got a lot of studying to do." 

* * * 

Things had been going well. 

Alex had gotten the notes she needed from Enzo and they were both studying for their test tomorrow. As awkward as Enzo felt, he and Alex sat on his bed, looking over a read me file. It wasn't that he hadn't been close to her before, he had, but with recent events taking shape, he was afraid something bad would happen or go wrong. 

It did. 

It had all started when Alex had started playing with that braided tail of his. It had gotten a little longer since the last time she had told him not to cut it and when she had braided it. She was twirling it around her finger, looking intently over his shoulder at the read me file. Then she started rubbing the back of his neck, on the shaved part of his hair. "You're all fuzzy." she said, leaning closer, resting her head on his shoulder. 

Enzo was trying to keep himself cool and calm. He closed his eyes and began doing the breathing techniques Bob had taught him, hoping that these would distract from the girl that sat so close to him. The cute girl whose head resting on his shoulder. The beautiful, shapely girl whose breath was on his neck and her fingers running through his hair. Within no time, Enzo's thoughts switched over to Alex and he began thinking about her. 

It would so easy for him to turn his head and kiss her. Once, maybe twice, maybe more. He bet she would be a good kisser, too. He had never kissed anyone before, but listening to her talk and looking at her lips, she'd be nice to kiss. And touch. Enzo already knew her hands to be soft, along with her body. Hugging her was great. And she had the nicest bitmap. Enzo hated it when she left, but at least he had a nice view when she did._ I bet she has a nice body too,_ he thought. 

Enzo lost control at that point. 

Opening his eyes, he sat straight up, lowering the file to his lap. The action had startled Alex, who looked at her friend in concern. "Enzo, you okay?" she asked. The boy nodded, closing his eyes again._ Baseball, football, hockey... _he tried to think of as many sports he could that would possibly make this embarrassing moment go away. "Um...Enzo?" 

"Hmmm?" 

"Could you move the file up, please?" she asked. "I really can't read it from down there." 

Enzo jerked his head towards her. He couldn't move the file! What if she saw? The problem with his uniform ~or any of his clothes, for that matter~ was the fact concealment wasn't exactly an option. What if she already knew? What if she knew the sick, sad things he thought about her in his head. That thought just terrified him. The more he sat there, the more pain he was feeling. "I have to go potty!" he blurted out, wincing as he did. It sounded like something he would've said if he was 0.3. Handing her the file, he bolted out of the room and down the hall to the showers and bathroom. 

Finding a stall, he locked himself in and tried thinking of something. Baseball. Yes. Yes! Good ole baseball. A wonderful sport. A nice, sweaty...game...where you go through first base...second base...third base...then head on home in order to score..."Bad analogy! Bad analogy!" Enzo groaned, causing himself more pain than he would've liked. He felt like crying. He couldn't believe of all the times for his unit to go berserk, it would be while he was with Alex. Racking his processor, he started thinking of Megabyte. Megabyte! Dirty, evil, rotten...thinking of all the things the virus had done, calmed at least some part of him. It made the rest incredibly angry. 

He smiled. He'd be okay now. 

Letting out a relieved breath, he opened the stall door and headed back to his room. He had to think of a story to explain to her. That was just a random occurrence and she probably thought he had flipped his motherboard. He decided to tell her that he had a rare condition where he experience pain in his lower side. He'd make up a name or something later. Taking a deep breath, he let himself back into his room. He thought he'd be okay, but when he entered, he knew he was in trouble. 

She was laying on her back, hand behind her head, reading the rest of their read me file. Her jacket was unzipped, revealing a white tank top underneath. She turned when she saw him. "I hope you don't mind, but I finished the rest of the read me file." she said. "You really didn't miss much." _I wonder what else she's wearing under that uniform? _He did a loud intake of breath as his hands went to cover himself. Alex raised an eyebrow, as Enzo started to hyperventilate in front of her. "Are you okay?" she asked. 

Without a word, Enzo ran back out. 

* * * 

Matrix had his hands full. 

Rather, _AndrAIa _had her hands full. 

Currently she sat on the couch, reading a magazine file. Every once in a while, she heard a small commotion coming from Sabrina's nursery. Matrix and Enzo had assured her they could change the baby without her help. The game sprite wanted the two brothers to spend time together, especially when she noticed Enzo seemed to be trying to get Matrix alone for a talk. He would be home for about two cycles and then he'd be going back to the Academy. They were looking in to cutting some of the vacation time the cadets got as soon as the enrollment got a bit higher. 

Another argument came from the nursery, causing AndrAIa to give up and find out what kind of trouble the two were getting themselves into. Standing up, she was about to venture down the hall when someone knocking stopped her quest. Wanting to check on the boys quickly, AndrAIa headed towards the door to get rid of the visitor. Opening the door, she smiled upon seeing her sister in law. If anyone was going to get Enzo and Matrix to behave, it was Dot. 

"Hey." she replied, moving to let the young leader enter the apartment. 

"I was looking for Enzo and figured he'd be around." Dot said, looking around for her younger brother. 

"I was just heading that way myself." AndrAIa said, walking past her and into the hallway. 

Dot was about to ask her how parenthood was going when the two heard a loud pop. "Well, now you've done it." came Matrix's angry response. Standing in the doorway, Dot smirked, while AndrAIa just shook her head sadly and in slight embarrassment. The nursery floor was covered in white, as was Enzo's face and hair. Matrix was lucky and was only covered from the shoulder to his waist. Little Sabrina lay squirming and giggling on the changing table. Apparently, her uncle and father had gotten into a fight over who would power her. 

The loud pop had been the baby power bottle exploding. 

"That's it." AndrAIa said. "You guys are off changing detail." 

"I told you!" Enzo exclaimed, pointing at his brother. 

"Why don't you two get cleaned up?" Dot said, trying to control her laughter. What a time for her not to have a camera! 

The two marched out of the room, Matrix grumbling, "She's_ my _daughter." 

"I don't see why you have to change her all the time!" 

"It was_ my _turn!" 

"It was not!" 

"It feels like I'm raising three kids here, not one." AndrAIa sighed. 

"You have it easy." Dot joked, walking over and tickling Sabrina, who laughed and cooed. "I'm usually dealing with about seven, you included." 

"Hey!" 

In the bathroom, Enzo was rinsing the power and gunk from his face and hair in the shower, while Matrix was fluffing out his shirt. The power was mostly gone, but his black shirt still looked gray. _Why couldn't he wear white more often?,_ he thought, shaking his head. After Enzo was done, he grabbed the nearby towel and began to dry off. Hanging it around his shoulders, he looked at Matrix. The adolescent had said when he came home, he would talk to Matrix about his current..."problem". 

"Matrix...can I um...talk to you for a nano?" he asked. 

The renegade looked up from his task. "Sure." he said. "What's processing?" 

"I have...this problem." 

"What problem?" he asked, suspiciously. 

Enzo took a breath, then rushed to close the door. Turning back to his brother, he tried to figure out how to ask this most embarrassing question and still seem sincere about it. "Have you ever...?" he began, then thought of another way. "When you and Andri were compiling up in the games, did you...well, okay, when you were around her, did you... did you ever...?" Seeing the confused look on the renegade's face, Enzo realized he had to at least elaborate on his plight. 

"When you were compiling in the games, at like around my age, did you have the problem of...being...unable to...focus... clearly?" 

"On what?" Matrix asked, completely lost. 

Enzo was being just a bit frustrated, more than he was already. "Being with AndrAIa, sleeping with AndrAIa, didn't you have...certain_ thoughts_...that led to... certain _things_...happening...to certain_ parts _of you?" 

Matrix looked at boy, his fuzzy questioning slowly becoming clear to him. "Oh." he said, when a sudden jolt of comprehension hit him. "Oh! I get you now." 

"Well, it's about time!" the boy cried. 

"Hey dude, your questioning was all weird." The renegade defended. 

"I thought I would have to draw you a diagram or something." 

"Dude, do you want advice or not?" 

"Sorry." 

"First of all, Bob gave you that talk, didn't he?" Matrix asked. 

"Dude, you know he did." 

"Okay, that makes my job a little easier." he said. "I think. I guess the best thing would be to tell me what the problem is. I mean, the question rather. I think I know what the problem is." 

"I can't focus." Enzo sighed, the frustration he'd been feeling since the last time he was with Alex released in that one breath. "I mean, a breeze hits my arm and...I don't have any control over it. And worse, whenever I'm around Alex...I don't even want to get into what happened before I left." 

"Ouch." Matrix winced, imagining the kind of embarrassing situation his brother had been in. 

"I just...I figure that you're me and I'm you. You must have thought of _something _to get your mind off of AndrAIa." 

"Yeah." the renegade nodded. "I worked out a lot. Unfortunately, so did she. Look, Enzo...I can only say...it happens. It doesn't mean you're in the wrong, it just means you gotta get used to it, that's all. Truthfully, if you went by my experience, you won't be able to fully control it until at least 1.5." 

"1.5!" he exclaimed. "This is going to bring my downfall for the next two hours!?" 

"Now calm down." Matrix replied. "I said if you were going by me. That's when I stopped...doing a 21 salute, let's call it...all the spammed time. But then again, game time speeds up everything. I was shaving by 1.4. Things are different now. You're going through the normal process." 

Enzo groaned, leaning dejectedly against the door. He didn't think he could make it til 1.5 like this. True, he'd be 1.4 over summer, but it was the principle of the matter. "I just wish it wouldn't hurt when it happens." 

Matrix made a face, remembering that problem as well. "Cramps." he said, closing his eyes. "Yeah, I hated those too. Listen Sprout, there isn't much I can tell you. You just gotta ride the wave, that's all." 

"Thanks a lot." he muttered. 

"I do but try." the large sprite replied with sarcasm. 

* * * 

It felt weird to be back on campus so soon. Enzo had heard Turbo and the instructors were going to shorten the vacation schedule as soon as things got back to normal. For Enzo, nothing would be normal until 1.5, two hours from now. He just felt strange and awkward around Alex. He didn't sit in his normal seat next to her in class and he bolted back to his room before she could ask him to lunch. He felt bad about leaving her in a void like this, but he couldn't come out and tell her that _she _was the problem and all his thoughts revolved around her. 

He sighed sadly, knowing he'd have to avoid her for two whole hours. He knew that would totally cramp their friendship. A soft knock on the door alerted Enzo that he had a visitor. He figured it was Johnny, coming to find out what was wrong. He dragged himself to the door and opened it, just to have his eyes widen in surprise. Alex stood, arms crossed, and a fowl expression on her face. She didn't wait for him to let her in, just pushed the door back and stormed to the middle of the room. 

"I know I'm being a bit forward, but I really do have to know. What in the crystal mercury is wrong with you?" she blurted, her angered features softening as Enzo closed the door and walked over to her. 

"Nothing's wrong." he whispered. "Not exactly." 

"Enzo, you've been ignoring me like the plague for three whole cycles." He could see how hurt she seemed to be. "If I've done something, said something..." 

"It's not you, I mean..." Enzo sighed, looking down at the floor. Would he come clean and tell her? Could she possibly understand? "I'm kinda going through something now." he continued. "All a part of compiling up, they say." 

"Is that it?" she asked, cracking a smile. She'd been completely worried about him, afraid something horrible was going on, just to find he was freaking out over puberty. 

Enzo looked up at her, seeing the small grin on her face. It didn't even phase her. "Yeah..." he said in uncertainty. 

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she said, "Silly Enzo. Do you think you're the only sprite that's going through this?" 

"Well, no, I just..." he kept his arms to his side, wondering if he was really being that basic. 

"I've been going through puberty since I was one - zero." she said. "It's not that big of a file." 

"One - zero?" he asked, completely surprised. "That's kinda young, huh?" 

"Everyone hits it at different times." she said, tugging gently on the braided tail. "My Mom said that everyone starts at a different point, kinda like a race. But we end up at the finish line together." 

That made sense. Enzo had really been so concerned about his own uncomfortable situations, he had neglected to realize that he wasn't the only one going through it. He had noticed there were other little kids like him, around his age, that were probably going through the same thing or would be. And now he knew girls had it too. He and Bob had mostly talked about the stuff that would be happening to him, so he completely forgot girls were going through it as well. Completely excited, he hugged Alex tightly. 

"Your mom's really smart." he whispered, inhaling the berry shampoo she had used. 

"Was." Alex replied, resting her head on his shoulder. "She's deleted now." 

He gave her a small squeeze. "I'm sorry, but I know it kinda doesn't mean anything." 

"It means something." 

"What was she like?" he asked. 

"I have her eyes." she said, smiling. "She was tall and pretty. And funny, too. She could always make me laugh and make me feel better when I needed it." She moved her head so she could whisper in his ear. "Kinda like you." 

Enzo knew he could be in some serious trouble if he didn't let go. 

"What're your parents like?" she asked. 

"They're great." he whispered. "Really alphanumeric. Bob's a guardian. That's why I wanted to be one. He's totally cool and we hang out a lot. And Dot...I can't begin to tell you how great Dot is." 

"You call your parents by their first names?" 

"Huh?" he asked. He realized his slip and chuckled. "Sorry. Um...Bob and Dot are the people to take care of me. My parents deleted when I was little." 

"Enzo," she gasped, holding the boy tighter. 

"It's okay." he said, closing his eyes briefly. "I mean, it's not okay, but I wasn't alone or anything. See, Dot's my sister and she took care of me and then Bob came along and...it's been totally great. They got married and now they have a kid, Christopher." Pulling back to look at her, he asked, "Wanna see a picture?" 

Alex nodded her head, as Enzo went to his desk and picked up two frames. 

"This is Bob and Dot, on the left." he said, pointing to a picture of the two sprites. "And this is Christopher. He's like 0.2 now. He's so big." Putting that back, he showed her one of Matrix and AndrAIa. "This is my brother Matrix and his wife AndrAIa. And this little princess is their daughter, Sabrina. She was so tiny, but now she's a little bigger." 

"Wow, I wish I had a big family." she said, watching he replaced the pictures. "It's me and Dad now. And my uncle. He had to leave after what Daemon did to his system. We haven't heard from him since Mom left." She looked down, a sad look on her face. Enzo gave her another hug ~it was just so easy to do~ wrapping his arms around her waist. She nuzzled his neck a bit, trying to find a comfortable spot. "I really miss her." she whispered. He kissed her forehead and held her tighter. "Do you ever miss your real parents, Enzo?" she asked. 

"Yeah." he said, his voice unsteady. Whether it was from his memories of his parents or her proximity to him, he wasn't sure. "I think about them sometimes, but I wouldn't trade Bob or Dot for anything. Even Matrix and AndrAIa. I don't know what I would do without them. Or you." 

The last part had been a small whisper, but Alex had heard it. Lifting her head, she looked at him, gazed into his eyes. Enzo looked back at her, knowing a perfect chance to kiss her was now. As he leaned in, he saw her eyes close and did the same. Inches away from her lips, the door was thrown open. 

"Sorry!" replied Peter, walking in backwards and pulling a cart with him. The two leaped away from each other, their faces turning redder than Mouse's hair. Peter Win was a small boy, about Enzo's height, with short, wavy blond hair and light gray skin. Small framed glasses protected his green eyes. Seeing the two leap from each other's arms, he knew he had walked in at a bad time. "Am I interrupting something?" he asked. 

"No Peter." Enzo said, through gritted teeth. 

"No Peter." Alex replied, blushing. 

"No, no." Peter said, pushing the cart back through the door. "I have a horrible feeling I've interrupted something. I'll just take these beakers back to the science lab. I think I can do my research there." With that, the young cadet left. The two young sprites left in the room couldn't help but laugh. 

"I should probably take Peter's advice and leave myself." Alex replied, walking towards the door. "I do have class next and I haven't eaten." 

"That's right!" he said, smacking his forehead. "I feel awful, Alex. I can't believe I made you skip lunch!" 

"You didn't." she giggled. "Look, maybe we can eat dinner together. We can go to the new pizza place in town, kay?" 

Enzo nodded, a childish grin on his face. "That be great." 

Alex started to reach for the door, but stopped. "Enzo?" she asked, turning around to face him. He looked up at her. Gathering her courage, she kissed him quickly on the lips. "Thanks for listening to me." she replied. 

"No problem." he whispered, surprised she had actually kissed him. 

"I should go now." she said, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. It was a shy habit she did, especially around a guy she really liked. She kissed him again, taking a little more time and making sure Enzo saw it coming. 

He opened the door for her and watched as she started to walk down the hall. Leaning against the door frame, he watched the movement that went into her walking. User, he loved watching that girl go! He almost didn't notice Peter come up beside him. "You really should tell me when you plan on having your girlfriend over." he said. 

"She's not my girlfriend." Enzo replied, dreamily. 

"But you were about to kiss her and I know you don't watch other girls walk away like you do with Alex." 

"No other girl walks away like Alex does." 

"There's nothing I can say then." Peter replied, shaking his head sadly. "You're hooked." 

* * * 

Matrix was a newly changed sprite. 

Well...almost. 

Having Sabrina around made the renegade guardian a softer, more compassionate guy. A gentle giant, if you will. He would do anything for her. If she told him to jump off the highest point in Mainframe, he'd do it. If she told him to buy all the jewelry in the system, he'd do it. Nothing was too good for his little girl. AndrAIa adored the way Matrix was treating his role as father. Sometimes at night, she'd miss him in their bed and venture out to find him. She always found him in the same place, sitting on the floor, leaning against the baby crib, fast asleep. The baby's hand curled around his finger as she too was nestled in slumber. She had always had faith in her guardian, but even this she had wondered about. Could Matrix be the loving father she wanted him to be? 

Of course he could. 

And was. 

As a baby, Matrix took Sabrina everywhere with him, aside from the games. That, the two parents would need to discuss. It wasn't a very hard decision for either to make. Of course they would train their daughter to protect herself in and out of games. She was half game sprite anyway, surely she would have some of the same skills AndrAIa possessed. Despite a small word of worry from Dot, the two knew it was the best thing. Yes, they wanted Sabrina to enjoy her childhood, but they also wanted to make sure she was prepared for anything to happen. That's what had been their downfall. 

They started early, first with AndrAIa explaining everything to the girl about certain abilities she'd be able to do, like extra sensitive hearing and her paralyzing nails. Next, Matrix taught her hand to hand combat. Everyone knew that could only lead to one thing. 

"Matrix's teaching her hand to hand?" Bob asked. "Hoo! All I can say is watch out, boys." 

"I told him I would be happy to do it." AndrAIa replied, shaking her head sadly. 'But he said he could handle it, I had done so much all ready. You know, now that I think about it, he kinda had this evil glare in his eye. You know the one where bad things happen?" 

"Don't ever want to get on her bad side." Ray said. "She's got his temper, you know." 

As far as the two Matrix parents were concerned, they wanted their daughter to be able to survive if anything were to happen. 

"You think we're doing the right thing?" AndrAIa asked. 

"Andri, we gotta make sure she can handle stuff on her own." Matrix replied. 

"I know, but Enzo, this isn't the games. We're home. We can let her be a kid if she wants." 

"I want her to be. Believe me, AndrAIa, I don't want anything to ruin that. But I couldn't live if something happened to her that we could've prevented. I wanna make sure she's safe." 

"She will be, Lover." she said, kissing his bearded cheek. "We all will." 

* * * 

Sabrina was having the best time. 

Currently, she was flying an F-10 fighter jet and shooting down MIEGs as they came at her. This was a totally easy game. She was a young child of 0.7 and already an experienced gamer. Why shouldn't she be? Her parents had made sure she understood the whole game playing field before they would let her enter one by herself or even if she had to. She had actually called the game's location before she and her Dad made it in. 

"Take that, little loser boy!" she shouted, shooting a MIEG who came from her left. 

"Pay attention, Sabrina." her father growled, coming up on her right and flanking behind her. 

"You really need to be calm about this, Daddio." she said, smiling and waving at him from the cockpit. 

Matrix rolled his eyes. She was such a show off sometimes. To the point where she could seriously injure herself or others that were in here with her. Luckily, she had called the location and they were able to make it so they would be the only ones inside. Matrix took a responsibility at training his daughter to be the best. He and AndrAIa wanted her to be prepared, in case she found herself in a game all alone. 

But even Matrix had to admit she was far more talented than he probably gave her credit for. They had found out early on she had certain skills that neither he or AndrAIa possessed. They had found out about her ability to know the location of a game before it dropped only two hours ago. She had been way too young to go in, but when she got older, the two sprites would take her ~and sometimes her cousin Kit~ in to a game with them. They were surprised to know she could even tell what a game's plot was. 

The two young parents ~like Bob and Dot before them, they had learned~ spent a lot of time with Phong trying to figure out how Sabrina could do the things she could. The wise sprite always said he had some sort of idea, but never really gave them a word as to what it was. Inside, Phong had his suspicions. In both Kit and Sabrina's cases, they each had a parent who wasn't exactly a normal sprite. 

Now that Bob had downloaded Glitch into his own codes, Kit had inherited his father's powers. Phong also suspected Dot had new capabilities that she had gotten when she and Bob had intertwined their codes in a ceremony and later when they merged. What hidden power lay beneath the young Command.Com, Phong was unsure as of yet. With Sabrina, the answer seemed to be clear. Her mother, AndrAIa, was a game sprite. That would explain her nails and the small scales that lined her arms and part of her back. But she also had powers that AndrAIa did not possess, like the ability to locate a game before it landed. 

That part had Phong intrigued. 

And stumped. 

He thought it might have something to do with the game speed and her parents life in it before they returned to Mainframe. Phong of course couldn't prove this unless he had a volunteer to do a research study. That wouldn't be happening soon, of course, so Phong decided he would learn as the two young children grew into adolescents and young adults. His answers would come in time, he hoped. 

Matrix was brought back into reality when two MIEGs slammed into each other and hearing Sabrina laugh with delight. "Can we say, loser?" she asked, doing her little happy dance in the cockpit. 

"Sabrina, stop fooling around!" he demanded, causing a perturbed look from his offspring. "Destroy that shilo." 

"Yes, Captain, my Captain." she mocked, moving her plane into position. With one well placed shot, the shilo located on the ground exploded and the voice rang out, 

**GAME OVER**

Sabrina stood next to her father, arms folded. She was going to get it, she knew it. The only question was which lecture she'd be getting. She stood, waiting to hear her father's customary explosion, but it never came. Instead, she saw him walking off towards the Diner, their destination before she knew the game was coming. Slightly surprised, she quickly ran after her father. 

He sensed her coming, so he stopped, but didn't bother to look down at her or even in her direction. She came up beside him, a little out of breath from her jog. The big guy could really move when he wanted to! She looked up at him and knew he was mad. Really mad from the look of it. She turned away from him. "Are you mad?" she asked. 

"Mad doesn't even begin to cover it." he muttered. "Games aren't for fun, Sabrina, no matter how much you think they are. They're dangerous beyond belief. Believe me, your mother and I found that out the hard way." 

She sighed. She knew it would come back to that. That was his trump card, that one where she would feel guilty about joking around. She walked over to stand in front of him. "Dad..." she said. Tugging on his hand, she repeated, "Dad." When he didn't respond, a scowl came to her face ~almost reminiscent of her father, she'd been told~ and folder her arms across her chest. "Dad, I refuse to talk to you like this, my neck is beginning to hurt." 

He could never win against her ~it was like arguing with AndrAIa~ so he sighed, and dropped down to one knee where he could be eye level with the child. 

Taking his face in her hands, she said, "I totally know the deal with games, Daddy. I know they're serious and I would never do anything to get myself or anyone else for that matter, trapped in one. I really really promise. But you gotta stop being a big worry null." 

"I can't help it when my only daughter is involved." he said. 

"Oh Dad." she sighed, hugging the big guy tightly. "You're such a null sometimes." 

"And you're the pain in my bitmap." he joked. 

"Ah, the love." she giggled. "I'm serious." 

"So am I, Sabrina." 

"Yes, sir." she said, pulling back to look at him. "No more fooling around." 

"Good." 

She gave him her best puppy dog face ~ the one she had learned from her mother~ and asked, "Still love me?" 

Matrix sighed. He'd deleted for this girl, do anything she wanted him do, of course he loved her! "Well," he started. "You are little and cute and I guess I am stuck with you." 

"Aw Dad, that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me." she cooed, kissing her father on the cheek. 

He shook his head and picked her up in his arms. "You're a smart ASCII." he said. "Something you did not learn from me." 

* * * 

"You're gonna what?" 

Sabrina leaned back in her chair and sighed. It was getting close to graduation time at the Academy and she would have to pick some place to mend and defend. She knew the obvious choice, but something else needed to be done. So she had gotten this idea. It would only be temporary and she'd be able to come home if she really wanted to. But she needed to run it across a couple of people first before she told her parents. So, she sent a vidwindow to her cousin Kit, who was across the Super Computer at the Science Institute, then vidwindowed her brother Chip with instructions he get their Uncle Enzo with him. 

"I'm gonna stay and teach." she repeated. "I mean, don't you guys think Mainframe will be a little crowded with _five _guardians?" 

"Sis, you can not be serious." Chip said, shaking his head. Removing the black baseball cap from his head, he ran his fingers through his black hair. "Mom and Dad are gonna flip. Especially Dad." 

"Look, I just figure it might be better this way and...I can home and see you guys once in a while." Sabrina examined her nails, waiting for one of them to say something. 

"Are you sure about this, Bri?" Enzo asked. 

"And think before you speak." Kit commanded. 

"I'm worried about what Mom and Dad might say." she sighed. 

"They may think it's a good idea." Enzo spoke. "Well, AndrAIa will." 

"Dad will go random." Chip replied. 

"He won't, as long as you're staying out of trouble, Mr. Juvenile Delinquent." Sabrina retorted. 

"You're lucky." her brother joked. "I'm not planning on starting any fires until after_ this _one fans out." 

Sabrina sat and thought for a nano. "I'll tell Mom first." she said. "That way she can break it to Dad gently before he comes screaming at me." 

"That would be my plan as well." Kit said. 

"Thanks for your help, boys." she said, closing the window. Within a nano, it popped back up again. "Couldn't resist one more round of name calling, brat?" she asked, grinning at her brother. 

Chip huffed and looked down at his feet. 

"Something wrong?" she asked. 

"You're really not coming back?" he asked, looking up slightly. 

"I know you've wanted a room with a view, so now you've got it." she joked. Her face softened when she could tell her joke wasn't well received. "Hey EJ, you know I miss you, right? It's not like I won't come home and see you. It's just better this way. Be surprised Enzo and Alex get to stay. Even Dad! With Uncle Bob there, it's not like you need the extra help, you know?" 

"Yeah, I know." he whispered. 

"Don't sulk." she said. "I'll be home after graduation and we'll be arguing the night away. Promise." 

"It's not like I miss you or anything." he said, turning away. "I was just wondering, that's all." 

"Yeah." 

"I better let you go then." 

"Probably." 

"Hey Bri?" 

"Hey Enzo?" 

"Um...you're okay." he said, clearing his throat. "For a sister I mean." 

Sabrina smiled. He was like a little Matrix. A very scary thought, but also kinda cute. "I love you too, baby brother." she said, watching the boy smile. She then closed the connection. 

Putting her foot up on her desk, she began trying to think of a way to tell her parents she wouldn't coming back, at least not full time. Her mother would understand. Her father...well, the big guy would take it hard, no doubt. He and Enzo both, everyone really. It was one thing to have Kit go to the Science Institute the hour before her, but when she left...it was like Enzo leaving for the Academy all over again. Yes, there was still her brother and her cousins, Jet and Nikki, but they were the oldest and they were leaving. 

Sabrina missed them like crazy. They were all she had and to leave had been really hard. They were all very dear and near to her. She and Nikki were best friends. Having a girls second out wasn't the same if Sabrina wasn't there. She and Kit was close as well, like siblings. The five of them were...correction. Six. Enzo had been an older brother to them way before they were the older siblings. Sabrina sighed again, doing her best to keep her emotions to herself. 

She kept telling herself she was making the right decision. It would be random and a waste of a guardian for her to go back. Enzo had been lucky, so had Alex. A guardian's main function was to mend and defend...against viruses and tears and the games. Already, the system only had one virus and she was registered. Tears could easily be fixed by Uncle Bob or Ray and the games...well, they had enough players to go around. They really didn't need her back there. She thought again about her decisions. 

It was the right one. 

They really didn't have any classes on game sprites at the Academy. Every hour they tried getting as much information, but truth was, only one game sprite lived outside of the games and that was her mother. AndrAIa hadn't minded teaching the game technique class with Matrix while Enzo had been there, but they were just too busy right now. Sabrina could easily teach that. After all, she was part game sprite and she'd been playing games since she was old enough to walk. The more she thought about it, the clearer the answer became. 

Now all she'd have to do was convince her parents the same thing.   
  
  
  
  



	9. BEGINNINGS: Arc 4: The Father, The Son, ...

Life and deletion. So much can open the eyes of a new life that has come into the Net, but deletion can destroy the bonds that should've happened. You have reached the final arc. This arc will be split between the past and the present, with each being noted as such. Sometime parenthood can mean deletion and can destroy all involved. 

  


**Arc 4 - Chapter 1 - A Past Remembered**

**THE PAST**

The small boy looked out at the grave stone that faced him, tears streaming from his eyes. He couldn't believe she was gone. His mommy was gone. He knew she had been sick and he tried to make her feel better, but it didn't work. He was so little. He needed his mommy. Finally, he started to cry, making more tears than he already had. 

The young sprite that stood next to the child too had tears in his eyes. She was gone. Gone and she wouldn't be coming back. What was he going to do? He certainly couldn't move on. They had a child. _He _had a child. Glancing at the boy whose hand he held, he shook his head. He had to raise this kid. He knew nothing about them. 

He didn't even want children, but Meri had announced she was pregnant soon after they were married. In the beginning, it was great. He tried to be distant, but it didn't help and it didn't work. Seeing her pregnant and be a mother made him happy. He could still see her sitting in that rocking chair, holding the small baby and singing softly to him. And now she was gone. She had gotten sick shortly after the boy had turned 0.2. The doctors said she may get better. She didn't, obviously. He hated doctors. 

The boy. This was his fault. 

He wasn't sure how he came to the conclusion, but it had to be his fault. He was playing and had gotten hurt and Meredith had fixed him up, kissed his boo-boo and placed a band-aid on it. Something the boy had caught killed his wife. They had known each other since he arrived in the Super Computer, in high school. He was going into business, which one he wasn't sure, but he knew that's what he wanted. They had met his third hour there and after that... 

User, he missed her already. 

And now she was gone. She was gone and he had to raise this little boy by himself. The same little boy who probably brought some sick disease with him that second and poisoned his mother and now she was gone. This was the boy's fault. "Robert." the sprite replied, his voice cold and distant. The boy looked up, face wet from crying. He looked like him, like his father. The sprite shook his head quickly. "She's gone, Robert." he said. "Let's go." 

Tugging him by the hand, the sprite led his son away from the funeral. But Bobby didn't understand. Why did she go? And when was she coming back? She was coming back, wasn't she? The sprite led them to his car and opened the door for the boy. "Daddy, where did Mommy go?" he asked, still crying. 

"She's gone, Robert." he repeated. "She was sick. You made her sick somehow and now she's gone. She's never coming back. Ever. Now, get in the car." 

Bobby climbed into the passenger seat and cried harder. Did he really make his Mommy go away? What did he do to make her so sick that she would leave? Didn't she love him? The sprite started up the car and drove away, wanting to get far away from that place. After that, he never attended another funeral. 

* * * 

Robert Packard looked out from his ship's window. 

He and others had to leave their home in the Quadtrain system thanks to Daemon and her guardian minions. He knew they were bad and awful. He had never trusted them, not after he had learned the truth to his wife's sudden deletion. And even after that, their son...Thinking about guardians always made him think of his son, of their son. He had gone to be a guardian, despite his father's protests not to. But he didn't know. He didn't know what they had done to her, how they had killed her. 

Sometimes he wondered whatever happened to that boy he left in the Prime Guardian's office that second. He'd gone to make the boy see reason, make him come home, but he refused. He remembered smacking the boy across the face before storming out and leaving. He never returned. He packed his bags and left the Super Computer, left his son at that school, and had gone elsewhere, first to Acron then Apple, then he stayed for a bit before landing in Quadtrain. He had married again and had been happy until recently. 

His second wife had divorced him and then the threat of Daemon came to the system. Knowing the super virus had the guardians under her spell only confirmed what he had known for hours. Sometimes he would look at the guardians, try to see that one familiar face, but he never did. The thought that his son could've withstood the infection was always on his processor. He'd been thinking about him lately, wondering whatever happened, wondering if... 

He shook his head. His son made it perfectly clear that second he didn't want anything to do with his father. 

From that point on, Robert Packard had no son.   
**** ****

**A family can be formed from the simplest of sprites. For one sprite who lost his family, the one he has created brings peace and joy. But what happens when that piece and joy is shattered by the arrival of a very unwelcomed visitor. This is the second chapter of the final arc. Due to comments from the last arc, the present times in this story will take place after the events from Memories Are Made of This. Thank you to everyone who helped decide in this.**

**Arc 4 - Chapter 2 - Pain and All It Brings**

**THE PRESENT**

Kit sat at the Diner bar, trying to do his homework. Usually, the quiet atmosphere of the dinner crowd made it easier than to be downstairs with the twins. But as he stared down at the mathematics and science equations, this was taking longer than usual for him to finish, his processor was somewhere else. He couldn't stop thinking about his grandparents. Recent events had thrust Doctors James and Patricia Matrix back in the limelight and started the boy thinking about his future, one possibly in the scientific field. 

But thinking about his grandparents on his mother's side made him think about his grandparents on his father's side. He knew that his grandmother had deleted with his father was very young, but he wasn't sure about his grandfather. Bob never talked about his family. As far as the guardian was concerned, his true life started when he became a guardian and came to Mainframe. In that aspect, his father was just as bad as his mother and uncles. 

Sighing in defeat, Kit turned around to glance out the window. 

A game sat in the middle on Baudway, it's purple light waving in and out as the sprites inside battled the User for victory. The boy sighed again. He was a very good gamer, but he just didn't have the excitement for it that his uncles and cousin did. He noticed his father didn't get overjoyed at the prospect of one coming either anymore. His Uncle Matrix was just now beginning to enjoy them again after hours spent using them for travel. Kit wasn't too interested in them. Oh, he knew how to handle himself in one ~thanks to the gamers mentioned~ so if push came to shove and he was ever in one, he knew what to do. 

But it didn't mean he had to enjoy them. 

He thought they were cumbersome, a big headache on the systems they came to. That had actually been something he wanted to look into when he became a Net ~correction. Make that a Web famous~ scientist. Thinking about it more, Kit realized that would probably put the Guardian Academy out of business, but...Kit looked up as he heard the call of the game's end and watched as it rose up into the sky. He recognized the four figures that the game revealed, as they headed towards the Diner's door. 

"That was totally risky, Bri." Enzo replied, shaking his head at the young girl. 

"Risky, but it worked." the girl shot back, entering the eatery before the three guardians. Seeing her cousin sitting at the bar, she quickly went over and slapped his knee. "You missed a whopper of a game there, Kitten Kaboodle." she said, hopping up on the stool next to him. 

"I had homework." the boy shrugged, hopping over the bar counter. Placing his read-mes and files under the counter, he said, "What can I get for you?" 

"Usual for me, Kit." Enzo and Matrix replied in unison. The two looked at each other, then took a seat in the booth across from the boy. 

"Shake and a burger, my good man." Sabrina replied, smiling at the boy. 

"Nothing for me, Kiddo." Bob said, leaning against the bar. "But you could tell me where your mom is." 

"Downstairs with the twin terrors." the boy replied, making up the shakes. "Nikki's got a bug or something. She's been coughing all second." 

"I bet she's in a great mood." Bob add, sarcastically. He knew leaving twins, especially when one was sick, with Dot could spell potential disaster for him. 

"Actually, she is." Kit said, handing Sabrina her energy shake and giving the other two to Bob. "And I think she's looking for you." 

Bob nodded hesitantly and delivered the two shakes to the Matrix brothers before making his way downstairs to the little apartment. Opening the door, all he heard was quiet. Possibly a good sign, possibly a bad sign. He wouldn't really know unless he walked inside. Walking through the living room, things seemed to be in their proper place. He walked down the hall to the nursery where the twins were. It was quiet and he noticed his son Jet was curled up around his favorite toy, while Nikki was very alert. Picking her up, he kissed her cheek. 

"I hear you're not feeling well, sweetie." he cooed, bouncing the baby in his arms slightly. "You look okay to me. Have you been good for Mommy today? You haven't made her mad, huh?" 

"She was a perfect angel." a voice replied from behind him. 

Feeling an arm snake around his waist, Bob could feel Dot place her on his back and sigh. He smiled and continued talking to their daughter. "You're starting to look like Mommy, you know that?" he asked, kissing the baby once more. "Huh? You're gonna be just as beautiful as Mommy one second. Then your uncles and I will have to beat boys away with sticks. Yes. Yes we will." 

Dot giggled. "Don't tell her that." she said, running a finger down Nikki's cheek. "Her fever went down. She's a lot calmer and quieter than she had been." 

"Sorry for you leaving you with the twin terrors." Bob replied, setting a now sleepy Nikki back in her crib. 

"I heard." she smiled. 

Dot watched as Bob put Nikki down, then turned to her, taking in his arms for a hug. Kissing his cheek she asked, "So how was the game? Hard? You were in there for a while." 

"Standard Dungeons and Dragons." Bob replied, nuzzling her neck. "I actually didn't need to be there. Enzo and Sabrina had the most to do, Matrix was kinda back up. I just kinda stood there." Holding her tighter, he whispered, "I wish I could've been here with you." 

Dot smiled and kissed him gently on the lips. "You wouldn't have missed much." she said. "The only interesting thing I think we'll be getting some sightseers tomorrow." 

"Really?" 

She nodded. "It's that time of hour, when people go out and about exploring other systems." she said. "Not too bad. It does up business at the Diner." 

"As well as your _other _ventures." her husband joked. 

"Yeah, that too." Taking him by the hand, she led him out of the nursery and into the hall. "I don't want to wake them." 

"Then we should probably move into the bedroom." 

"Bob!" she cried, stifling a giggle. "That's not why I brought you out here." 

Bob grinned. "Darn." 

"I'll ignore that." she replied, rolling her eyes in the process. "We have to talk. About Kit." 

"He's all right, isn't he?" Bob asked, a look of concern on his face. 

"Didn't you just see him upstairs?" Dot asked. "Of course he's okay. I wanted to talk to you about he told me. But we can discuss it later." She gave him a peck on the lips before heading to their bedroom. "I have a ton of things to go over before the tourists start filing in." she called, disappearing behind the door. 

Bob smiled, following her. "Let me help." 

* * * 

It was a long long ride. 

Robert Packard was starting to get restless. He had traveled on ships before and every time, he'd get listless and want to get out and stretch his legs or something. He was a relatively quiet sprite, light blue complexion, brown eyes. His normally black hair had now turned gray and he had the beginnings of another beard, one he had just shaved over a minute ago. 

He was traveling again, he usually did when things got stale in his home. He had been living in Thruston, a system very close to the Super Computer, the place where he had left everything behind. His beautiful wife Meredith was buried there. He had left their teenage son there hours ago. Every so often, the sprite thought of his son. For so long he had blamed the boy for his mother's death. Even after he learned the truth, the boy went to be a guardian and it ended their relationship. 

He had the opportunity, if he wanted, to find the boy. His second wife had suggested he patch things up with him, but he always shook his head and it was all in the past now. And everyone knew you could never go back to the past. He had left that life behind him for a reason. His beloved wife was deleted. Their son had murdered her. It was very black and white to him. As black and white as the icon that was on his chest. But sometimes, the image of that small boy at the funeral and then later, the teenager that had rejected him would come crashing down and he'd actually miss the boy. 

Packard sighed. 

Sometimes, when he least expected it, he felt sorry...guilty. He wasn't the best sprite to be involved with children. He often wondered how the boy had turned out, if he had any children of his own, what kind of father he was. He shook his head. It didn't matter. What had happened between them was in the past and they had severed all ties. He had no son. His son had no father. That was the way it was, the way it always had been. 

He settled back in his seat and picked up the discarded read me magazine that lay next to him. He still had a couple of stops before they would come to the end of the line. Some little system called Mainframe. It sounded nice, small, probably wrapped in their own problems. From what he heard, the system was quiet remarkable. They had gone head to head against the super virus Daemon and won. They had been the place refugees had come and where some stayed afterwards. Just recently, they had undertaken a battle with some of Daemon's revenge tactics: Bugs. 

He figured it would be another stress-free trip. 

* * * 

School was so basic. 

Sabrina often wondered why Kit enjoyed it so much. It literally bored her to tears. Miss Brodie had to be the oldest teacher in the system. She had taught not only her Aunt Dot, but her mother and father AND her Uncle Enzo at some point in time. It was just sick. Sick and very wrong. 

The small binome needed to retire. 

Sabrina shook her head. If she had dreams of becoming a guardian like her uncles and Dad before her, she'd have to do school. And she'd have to do well. If it wasn't for Kit, she'd surely be floating in the failing waters. He was her personal tutor, whether he wanted to be or not. It wasn't as if she didn't_ like _school. It served its purpose, education was all right, but...when you came down to it, it was boring as listening to one of Phong's stories. The girl looked out the window. There'd be new people coming today, which meant new sprites. 

She loved tourists. 

They always had interesting things to say and show and buy...her homemade energy shake stand would be making a profit this hour, she knew it. All she had to do was get some energy shakes from the Diner and set them up in Wall Street. Yes, technically it was illegal ~if that's how you saw it~ but to Sabrina, she was merely making competition with her aunt. And she heard that healthy competition usually escalated a business's revenues. So in part, she was_ helping _the Diner, while helping herself earn some spending money. 

No harm done. 

And she and Kit were getting out early. 

She loved being a Matrix. 

She and Kit would be able to greet those newcomers, while everyone else stayed in the little room, reading about some sprite who discovered some system after some other sprite discovered it first. She so didn't care for that. Talk about Confused City, Boring Boardwalk, Tedious Team..._ooh,_ she thought._ Tedious. Word of the second. _She couldn't wait to get out of here. She and Kit had plans to head over to the new memorial after school anyway. She liked it there, it was quiet and peaceful. It was nice to sit back and relax. Especially when she could learn about her grandparents. 

The one good thing about that whole bug problem was the fact she got to know about her grandparents. Their lives had been kept from the Matrix children out of shame and anger. Sabrina could understand it though. Despite what Kit said and felt, she thought the doctors were responsible for the Twin City explosion. Certainly not on purpose, but their actions had deleted a whole system and left their children with no parents and as the only sprites in the sister city. The Matrix brothers especially had harbored that resentment until just recently. 

A couple of the times Sabrina had been there, either with Kit or by herself, she saw her father there, alone or with Enzo, sitting on the bench and looking over all their parents had done. Phong had said they were young when the accident happened, so they didn't remember much of their parents. The explosion had been etched in their heads and when they had been put into the M.U. shortly afterwards, it was all they could remember. Sabrina felt sorry for them. She didn't know if she could handle everything they went through. She loved her parents ~and her crying baby brother~ and couldn't imagine life without them. 

She knew Kit felt the same way. 

Having come so close to losing his mother had changed him slightly. She knew he had been thinking about becoming a scientist one second. At this point, he wasn't sure if he should tell his dad or even his uncles. Sabrina knew it wasn't guardian material, a fact he never disputed. The two had been checking the best science schools and found the best: The Science Institute, located in the Super Computer, just west of the Guardian Academy. At least the two wouldn't be alone if they ever ventured there. 

Sabrina looked out the window again. She was daydreaming. 

Again. 

_Ugh, when will this end??_

* * * 

The ship landed in the open bay, having gotten clearance from the Principal Office. So this was Mainframe. Packard exited the ship, looking around at the sprites and binomes lined up. There seemed to be more binomes than sprites, something he took notice of right away. Looking around at the sprites, he studied them carefully. The two that seemed to be in charge, a small old looking sprite and a lovely green skinned women, were talking to the ship's pilot. Guarding a door stood two other green skinned sprites, one a little bigger than the other. Packard took an instant dislike to them. 

Not one, but two guardians in the system. 

He also noticed two small children looking around the ship, a boy and girl. The boy had an organizer and was checking the ship for any analmolies that may exist. Packard couldn't help but stare at him. Blue skinned, black spiked hair with small streaks of silver, and brown eyes. The sprite shook his head. If he didn't know better... 

He glanced again at the two guardians guarding the door. They had been joined by the little girl, who had her arms folded across her chest. All three were looking at him strangely. He gave them a combined evil glare before finding his way out. "Did that guy look familiar to you?" Sabrina asked, watching the man leave with the others. 

"Yeah." the brothers agreed. 

"Dude, you have got to stop talking when I do." Enzo joked. 

"Me?" Matrix asked. "I'm the oldest here. I think you're the one that's copying me." 

"Am not." 

"Are too." 

"Am not." 

"Are too." 

"Am not." 

"Guys!" Sabrina exclaimed. "You're starting to sound like Hack and Slash, which is scary on its own." 

"Anyway," Matrix replied, glaring at his brother. "Yeah, that guy does look familiar, but I don't we've ever met." 

"Well, if we see him again, we'll get his name." Sabrina suggested. 

* * * 

Packard left the P.O.'s ship bay and stood outside on the steps. Those sprites in there were offering tours and such, but he wanted to explore on his own, without the chatty busybodies or screaming, crying children. He wanted to see the system the way it should be seen. Without the special sites and local attractions. He decided to start at the place called Baudway. 

He walked down the sidewalk, looking at different banner ads and the like. To his right, he spotted a park where some binomes wee having a picnic and playing around. Up ahead, he noticed people coming and going from a building. Getting closer and backing away, he saw the name. Dot's Diner. He figured it was a family restaurant from the look at the groups of residents that came and went. 

A group of sprites came towards him from the right, laughing and joking. Two women and a man. One of the female sprites was tan, with aquamarine hair and pretty blue eyes. She looked like the little girl he had seen earlier. The other was purple, with wild red hair. Packard instantly recognized her as Melissa Paige Pact, a trouble marker from the second she was initialized. He quickly looked at the young blue male that the two flanked. Melissa only hung out with one little boy growing up...he was blue...getting a grin on his face, he stopped them before they got to the door. 

"Well," he said, staring at the blue guardian. "Didn't think you'd ever see me again, did you...Junior?" 

  


**A father. A son. Two sprites, a whole entire Net apart. The sudden appearance by one can cause the other to think of the past and reflect on the future. Welcome to the third chapter. Can a friend mend a rift that took nanos to build, but may take hours and a life span to heal?**   


**Arc 4 - Chapter 3 - A Life's Decention**

**THE PRESENT**

Bob just couldn't understand it. He didn't expect to see that sprite again as long as he processed, but there he was, standing outside of the Diner, looking...no, _glaring _at him. He had smiled, made a small hello to Mouse, using her real name ~which severely ticked the hacker off~ then walked away in the direction he was facing. The girls were surprised to say the least, but none so as Bob. 

So he sat there. 

Thinking. 

He had come into the Diner shortly afterwards and sat in Dot's favorite booth. Mouse and AndrAIa gave a look to Cecil that clearly said "stay away" and went to go find the others. Bob wasn't sure what to do, how to feel, how to act. At first, he thought it was just his imagination. That somehow, he had imagined his father there, but looking back on it, he knew it was true. His father had found him. Had he been trying to run away?   


**THE PAST**

Things had been rough since then. 

Bobby found it hard to move on after his mother deleted. He missed her so much and now, his father seemed to be distant as well. The young child couldn't remember his father like this at all, but now he had changed. He didn't seem caring anymore and it made Bobby sad. First his Mommy left him and now his Dad didn't like him either. And the boy didn't understand why. He had made his Mommy sick and now she wouldn't ever come back. For the longest time, Bobby lived with the knowledge he made his mother leave. 

And when he grew up, he knew he had deleted her. 

And his father wasn't please with him. He was a fun, outgoing little sprite, especially when he was with Melissa Paige Pact ~who he would later know as Mouse~ and the two would get into so much trouble. He would try to stop her, but ended up going along with whatever scheme she had for the second. Mouse's parents weren't as strict as his father was. Nothing he did would ever please his dad. He wasn't good at anything or so his father said. 

But he finally found the one thing he was good at. 

Games. 

The young boy had found himself under an approaching game cube once second, with a couple of cadets from the Guardian Academy. Their instructor was slightly surprised and angered that the little boy had somehow gotten in, but he smiled at the youngster's enthusiam at wanting to help, so he let Bobby stay. It was a new game, something called, Captain Comic. And it was hard. 

Incredibly hard. 

The User was very good at the game and the cadets found it hard to keep up with him. Not Bobby. It was like he had a natural talent, like his calling was to be a leader. He easily took charge of the situation and was able to keep the User busy while the cadets won the game. The instructor patted the boy on the back, telling him what a good job he had done. 

"What's your name, son?" he asked. He had a drawl that reminded Bob of his friend Melissa. 

"Robert Packard Lan, Jr, Sir." He said, saluting the guardian. 

Turbo laughed, a hearty laugh Bob had only heard his father do when he was younger. "Well, Robert Packard Lan, Jr." he said, bending down to look at the boy. "I think you have some real skill there. When you hit 1.3 or 1.4, you come look for me, okay? The name's Turbo, son. Remember, you come look for me." 

Bobby nodded and ran all the way back home. 

"Dad, guess what?" He yelled excitedly. "I was in this game, with real guardians, and the big guardian said I could join and..." 

"What have I told you about running in here like that and screaming?" 

Bobby calmed a bit and looked down at the floor. "You said not to do it, Sir." 

"Secondly, haven't I told you not to go near any games?" he asked. 

"Yeah, but I couldn't help it!" the boy tried to explain, but he was silenced when he father came down to his level. 

"You are to never, ever go near that Academy, is that understood?" His face was directly in front of the boy's, so close he could feel his father's breath as he inhaled and exhaled. "You have to be a sick freak to want to wear that uniform and want to be like them. Maybe you are like them, Robert. You're certainly a weak, pathetic, basic little boy. You're a slacker, Robert. You will not embarrass me by becoming a murderer. Again."   


**THE PRESENT**

Bob remembered those seconds, those painful memories. Even getting the earful or worse, the beatings, he still respected and loved his father. To a point. That point ended that second at the Academy. But even as the moment itself still haunted the guardian, he never regreted it. If he had gone home with the sprite, he wouldn't have the home he was in now. He wouldn't trade anything he had here. Dot and their children were everything to him. 

Having that sprite in his system would only cause more trouble than he needed. 

*** 

A small group of sprites stood outside of the Diner's doors, periodically looking through the glass at the lone figure that sat in the booth by the window. The Diner was going through the lull after the dinner crowd and Bob had been in there since he and the girls had gotten there earlier. Now, Mouse, AndrAIa, Matrix, and Enzo stood outside the doors, wondering what they should do. 

"I say we just go in." AndrAIa replied, gulping as she did. She had never seen Bob so offlined before. 

"No way." Matrix said, shaking his head. "I say we send a note in first. In fact," Turning to Enzo, he said, "You go in there." 

"What?" the young Guardian exclaimed. 

"You go on in there. Bob likes you. You're like a son to him." 

"You're like a son to him, too!" Enzo cried. He really didn't want to go in there. 

"And what're we all standing outside for?" Dot asked, as she stepped off her zipboard. 

"Waitin' for you." Mouse replied, smiling sweetly at the young commander. 

"We're kinda afraid to go in and talk to Bob." Matrix said, sheepishly. 

"I don't believe it." 

"No, it's true." AndrAIa piped up. "We really are afraid to go in there." 

Dot rolled her eyes. 

"Now look Dot, Honey, we'd love to go in there, but you know how people are about their families." Mouse leaned in and whispered, "They're plumb crazier than a bee chasing down a flower." 

"I really don't believe you guys." Dot said, looking at each of the sprites in front of her. "Bob is our friend. No, delete that. He's_ family_. And right now, he's going through something really trumatic and we should be there for him." 

"Dot, have you forgotten he can make energy beams come from his hands?" Matrix asked. "I really don't want to make him madder than he already is." 

"That doesn't matter." she said. "Bob's family, that's all that matters right now. He obviosuly needs someone to talk to and we're going to be there for him." She looked at each one of the sprites before her, making sure they got her point. "Now Matrix, you go on in there." 

The renegade shook his head. "I say we send Enzo in with a note." he said. "If the note comes back, we'll consider going in there." 

Enzo too nodded until he realized he wasn't in the mix. "Hey!" 

"Well, this is ridiculous." Dot said, making her way to the door. "We'll all go in. That way he can see us at the same time and we can comfort him. Besides, there's no way he can shoot all five of us with just two hands." 

The group entered the near empty Diner and walked slowly over to where Bob sat. Dot slid in across from him, while the other four stood by the table. "Hi Bob." Matrix said, hestitantly. 

"Hey." the guardian replied, nodding to them. 

"You okay?" Mouse asked. 

"Yeah." 

"You sure?" AndrAIa asked. "You have a kinda funny look on your face." 

"Like what?" he asked. 

"Like you're about to go on a murderous rampage." Matrix supplied. 

"I believe it's called the quiet before the storm, Sugah." Mouse added. 

"Really, gang, I'm fine." Bob sighed. He looked up at Dot, who gave him a soft smile. 

Matrix looked back and forth between the husband and wife, seeing an unspoken conversation pass between them. Feeling like an intruder on an intimate moment, he cleared his throat and said, "You know, I think I left my bike running. I should probably go out and check. Andri, didn't you leave your bike running?" 

"No I didn't." the game sprite replied, giving her husband a funny look of her own. 

"Yes you did." Matrix emphasized. 

AndrAIa nodded, seeing the look he was giving her. "Yes I did." she said. "I can't believe I forgot about that." The two started to head for the door, when Matrix called to Enzo. "Enzo, I think you're bike's on too." 

"I didn't ride my bike over here." he replied. Seeing the look both sprites gave him, he quickly said, "But I zipped over here and I'm sure the motor's running on it." He laughed nervously and joined his siblings by the door. The three were about to leave, again, when Matrix called over to the hacker. "Mouse." 

Mouse was totally involved in the silent, but loving stare that passed between the couple seated. Giving the group a wave and without removing her eyes from Bob and Dot, she said, "I'll be there in a bit, Hon." 

"Mouse, I think I have something in my eye. Do you think you could take a look at it?" AndrAIa asked, taking Mouse's arm and dragging her out of the Diner. 

"What's wrong, Angel?" Dot asked, quietly, once they had their attention to each other. 

Bob sighed and looked down at the table. 

"Mouse and AndrAIa called and said you got quite a shock today." she continued. "Mouse seemed to know more about it, but it seems she's clammed up too." Still not getting a response, the young commander got up and slid next to her husband on his side of the booth. "We've really been through too much for you to be holding secrets from me, don't you think?" 

The guardian smiled a bit and took her hand in his. "You know how we said we really needed to tell the kids about their grandparents?" he asked. 

Dot nodded. She remembered the conversation. 

Bob seemed to struggle with his words before finally saying, "I don't think I want them to know about my parents." 

"Why?" 

Bob sighed again, trying to hold in a sob he could feel coming. "You...you know how I told you about my Mom?" 

"Yes." 

"And how she deleted when I was little?" 

"Yeah." 

"Well, there was something about that...something I didn't tell you." 

Dot scooted closer to him. "What it is?" she asked. "You can tell me, Bob." 

"You know, when I came back from the Web, I was really worried about how things would be between us." he whispered. "With all the stuff I did. I wasn't sure if you'd forgive me for that." 

"Bob, we've been over this, you know that." she said, wrapping her free arm around his shoulders. "I love you no matter what. Nothing is or will change that." 

"This might." he said, clearly his throat. 

She looked at him, wondering what other demons were haunting his code. "What were you going to tell me?" she asked, quietly. "About your mother deleting." 

"She wasn't deleted, per say." he said, his voice shaking, on the verge of grave calmness and hysterics. "She was murdered." 

"Bob!" she gasped. She had no idea about this. 

He turned to look at her finally, his face cold, but with a small tear in the corner of his eye. "I deleted her." 

*** 

"Mouse, what's going on? Who was that sprite we ran into?" 

Mouse had started heading back to Ship as soon as the questions started. It wasn't her place to be talking about Bob's past, even though she had been a big part of it. She knew everyone was worried, so was she, but not for the reasons they thought. She was more concerned over the fact that **he **was here. Was this on purpose or a happy mistake on his part? She had watched Bob grow from a scared little boy into a confident, over eager, over achiever, first-class guardian. 

He didn't need that sprite back in his life again. 

Mouse had almost been in the same boat the blue boy was in before she discovered hacking. They lost contact until she joined the Academy and he joined an hour later. Of course, Mouse wasn't cut out to be guardian material like Bob had been, so she left. Sometimes she wished she had stayed. As his friend, she looked out for him. Yes, they had been crushing on each other, but that soon passed and faded. He was the little brother she never had and she had to look out for him. 

"Mouse, will you talk to us?" Matrix demanded, calling after the hacker as she quickly went to her ship. 

She quickly turned around to face them, which stopped the three in their tracks. "Now listen," she said with authority. "I'm not one to be dishin' out the dirt on one of my friends, you know this. So I ain't about to give you Bob's life story in a nut shell. I will say this, whatever happens, you make sure that sprite we saw today stays away from Bob. Ya hear me? You keep those two apart. No good comes from havin' those two around together, I can assure you of that." With that said, she turned back around and headed for her transportation. 

The three sprites left looked at each other in confusion. "What the Net was that about?" Enzo asked. 

"I have no idea." Matrix said. "But you heard Mouse. She's known Bob longer than anybody. If she says this sprite is no good, then he probably isn't. I say we keep an eye on him." 

"And I say you're paranoid." AndrAIa replied. "Look, if Bob wants us to keep the guy at bay, we will, but only if Bob says so. Mouse is right. This is his affair and if he wants to tell us about it, he will. In his own time. The two are obviously related somehow." 

"How so?" Enzo asked. 

"He called Bob 'Junior'." 

"You're kidding." Matrix said, looking at her. When AndrAIa shook her head, the brothers stood flabbergasted. 

"Dude you guys, that only means one thing." Enzo breathed. 

"Now wait a nano." the game sprite insisted. "Maybe it's just a nickname." 

"Like Chip?" Matrix asked, incredulously. "AndrAIa, there's only one reason why we named him that." 

"And we don't call him EJ for kicks." Enzo added. "Well, maybe sometimes, but still." 

"Look," she said. "Standing around and making theories isn't helping us any. We just have to wait until Bob and Dot are done talking and then see if he wants to_ us _the story. That's all we can do, you know." 

"Yeah, well..." the renegade relented. "I'm still gonna keep an eye on the guy." 

"If you can find him." Enzo said. 

*** 

Robert Packard impatiently waited for his energy shake. He was seated in a booth at another establishment in the system, Al's Wait and Eat. A dive bar, he had gathered, with all the binomes he caught coming in and out. The service was incredibly slow, but at least it was his crowd. He had never been a family man, that was obvious after his son had been initialized. 

He grinned. 

The look on that boy's face was priceless. 

Packard wasn't sure if he'd be seeing him again. Probably not, but in case, he was preparing something to say. Seeing his son after all this time was...well surprising and shocking to say the least, but it did bring up some interesting questions. First, what was Melissa Pact doing in the system? She was older, but looked exactly the same as she had when he last saw her as a teenager. She had been in jail, as a matter of fact. 

No surprise there. 

Who was the other tan sprite he was with? Was that his wife? 

Were those children he had seen earlier his? 

Thinking back on it, the small boy did look at lot like him. The skin tone was the same, as was the hair and the eyes. The face looked different. It didn't really look like the tan sprite's, but it didn't look like his son's either. The girl, now she looked like the tan sprite, with different colored eyes. Some sort of purple, he thought. He'd have to find that out before he left. He needed to know if he was a grandfather or not.   
  
Al's skater waiter skated past the table, dropping off Packard's energy shake. The blue sprite mumbled a thank you, before taking a sip. He needed to coat his stomach before he had his customary I/O shot, without it he'd become sick. He had learned that when he was younger. He gazed around at the clientele. Numerals and binomes. That would be another question. Where were all the sprites? So far, he had seen a total of about nine sprites in the entire system against who knows how many binomes and numerals. The old sprite shook his head. 

This was an odd system to say the least. 

  


**A murder. A cover up. A life taken. Two more destroyed. What's the strange mystery that lays between Robert Lan, Junior and Senior? Welcome to the fourth chapter. Some mysteries prefer not to be solved. Some mysteries have to be.******

**Arc 4 - Chapter 4 - The Awaiting Mystery**

Dot was angry. 

Really angry. 

She walked purposefully down the halls of the Principal Office to her own office. She had just finished having a long and very emotional talk with Bob, where afterwards she sent a CPU in search of the blue sprite that had entered the system on the ship. She wanted a talk with this Robert Packard. The things Bob had told her had surprised the very strong and level headed commander. She had just conquered her own family demons when the bugs had come, and as traumatic as that was, it didn't hold a candle to Bob's family. He had lost his mother very young from an illness, but for some reason, his father had convinced him he had caused it. So Bob had grown up with the deep pain of knowing he had somehow been responsible for his mother's death, which was just preposterous as Dot saw it. How a father could tell his own son that_ he _had been the one to delete his mother was beyond her. But she wanted to know. 

Now. 

Telling the CPUs to bring the sprite to her office once they found him, she headed off to the P.O. She had gotten in contact with her brothers and AndrAIa, who told her what Mouse had said. That only made Dot madder than she was already. She knew Mouse and Bob went back a long ways, so Mouse obviously had known some of what Bob was going through. Whether she knew the whole story was another matter. She put the alert out to the three as well that she wanted to see Packard in her office ASAP. 

Now all she had to do was wait. 

She was standing in her office when the knock came on the door. "Come in." she said, watching as it opened and the captain of the CPUs entered. Behind him were two other officers flanking the very sprite in question. 

"We found him in Al's bar, Miss Matrix." the captain replied, jerking a thumb in the direction of the "prisoner". 

"Thank you, Captain." Dot replied, coolly. "Won't you come in, Mr. Packard?" The officers let the sprite enter and looked at Dot. "That'll be all, boys." 

"Call us if you need us, Miss Matrix." The captain said, he and his officers giving the sprite a look to delete. They then left. 

"Have a seat." Dot said, pointing to the chair already awaiting him. 

"Is there a reason I'm here?" Packard asked, taking the offered seat. "And just who are you to be sending out the guards to arrest me?" 

"My apologies." Dot replied. "I am Dot Matrix, Command.Com of this system. I basically have the authority to send the officers out and get whoever I want." 

Packard didn't conceal his surprise. A female leader. Odd, yes, but times were changing. "Well, Miss Matrix, you obviously seem to know who I am, so we'll dispense with the pleasantries." he replied. 

"Yes. Let's." Dot took a seat in front of him, staring down at this sprite who was the father of her husband. "Is there a reason, Mr. Packard, that you're in this system?" 

"I'm just here on a little excursion, if you will." 

"Fine." she said. "Why Mainframe?" 

Packard grinned. He knew the reason he was here. "If you're going to ask about my son, I suggest you do it now." he said. "Before you start wasting my time and yours." 

"You certainly don't beat around the bush, do you?" she asked. 

"Why are you so interested in the matter?" he asked. "This is between him and me." 

"Not exactly." she replied, standing and walking around him. "This concerns a lot of people, not just his friends, but his family." 

"I know Command.Coms like to keep tabs on their citizens, but this is a bit much." 

"All right." she said, coming back to sit in front of him. "I won't be Dot Matrix, Command.Com for now. But I will be a very, very concerned friend and wife." 

Packard nodded in understanding. So_ this _was the woman his son had married. He looked her up and down, taking the fatherly approach at the sprite that was now his daughter in law. "Do I meet your standards, Mr. Packard?" Dot asked, sarcastically, seeing the way the blue sprite was eyeing her. 

"My son has excellent taste, Miss Matrix." Packard replied. "You have your questions, I have mine. Why not make a trade?" 

"You go first." 

"Is there a reason why there are more binomes and numerals than sprites in this system?" he asked. 

"There is." 

Packard made a small laugh. "I see." he said. "Something you don't want to discuss. I understand. Next question. Is there a reason why Melissa Paige Pact is in this system?" 

"I don't believe..." Dot started, then looked at him. "Oh, you mean Mouse." she said, nodding her head. "Personal friend. To both of us." 

"Granted." the blue sprite nodded. "Last question. So you're my new daughter in law. I assume you and Robert have been married for quite some time. Any children?" 

"Eight wonderful hours, Mr. Packard." Dot replied with a smile. "We have three children. I believe you saw our eldest son, Christopher, in the hanger when you arrived." 

Packard nodded. "I thought he looked familiar. The face is yours though. And the small girl that was also there?" 

"That's our niece." she said. "My brother's daughter. Bob and I just had twins a few minutes back. A boy and a girl." 

"Congratulations." 

"Now my turn." Dot said. "What's the file between you two? Every time he sees you, hears about you, he clams up. He told me something today..." 

"About his mother, no doubt." the sprite spat. "I loved that woman to no end, Miss Matrix. To lose her the way I did..." 

"Excuse me," Dot interrupted. "I do believe you're forgetting that Bob loved her, too and what you've told him over the hours..." 

Packard stood from his chair. "You listen to me." he growled, causing Dot to back away some. "I was a bit hasty in my original conclusion, but in the end, he might as well have deleted her. I tried to save him from the life that would destroy him. He refused. If you want to blame someone for our relationship, Miss Matrix, you blame him. Now, if that's all, I still have to find a place to sleep tonight. Can I go?" 

"Yeah, you can go." Dot whispered. 

Packard turned and headed for the door, but was stopped by Dot's voice. "As long as you're in my system, Mr. Packard, I expect you to adhere to the laws here." she said. "And believe me when I say I_ will _be watching you. If you say or do anything to my husband while you're on your..._excursion,_ you'll deal with me on the worst level possible. I promise you that." 

Packard opened the door and left. 

* * * 

"Is there a reason why my father has locked himself in our apartment?" 

The Matrix brothers and AndrAIa had been watching a little television in Enzo's apartment when the boy came storming in. Luckily, Chip Matrix was wide awake and playing on the floor. The boy looked agitated and more than a little angry. 

"Fine thanks and hello to you, too." Matrix muttered, sarcastically. 

"Would you like to sit down? Have a drink?" Enzo asked. 

"Spare me the clever conversation, Enzo." the boy said, standing in front of the three, blocking their view of the TV and crossing his arms across his chest. "I just spent the last couple of micros talking to my Dad through a wooden door. Now, I'd like to know exactly what's going on here." 

"You've been hanging out with Sabrina lately, haven't you?" Enzo asked. 

Kit stared at his uncle by relation, brother by code. "You know, Enzo," he said. "Sometimes it's not hard to see how you and Matrix are the same code. You certainly share the same pea sized processor." 

"Back off, Kit." AndrAIa hissed, knowing where this conversation could go. "Now your Mom put us under strict orders to just sit back and relax. If your Dad wants to come out and talk about it, he will. Until then, sit down and stay frosty." 

The two stared hard at each other, but finally Kit raised his hands in defense. "I'll find out myself." he said, heading towards the door. As he opened it, he heard Matrix growl, "Stay out of trouble." before he slammed it shut. 

The game sprite sighed and leaned back on the couch. "Bob had better hurry up with this." she said. "It's only been a second and look what kind of trouble we're in already." 

Matrix shook his head and gruffly stood. Pulling out a window, he proceeded to make a call. "What're you doing?" his wife asked. 

"Making a call." 

"I can see that." she said, rolling her eyes. "Who are you calling?" 

"Turbo." he said. 

"Why're you calling Turbo in the Super Computer?" Enzo asked, sitting up. 

"I don't know about you guys, but I want answers." Matrix replied, waiting for the call to connect. "And I want them now." Seeing the Prime Guardian come on screen, the renegade started right in. 

"I need a favor from you." 

* * * 

Bob laid back down on his bed and sighed. He had just washed his face for the umpteenth time that period. He just felt drained. He had told Dot everything, everything in his past. Some things he had tried to forget, but they soon came out, causing him to relive the pain he had lived through as a child. 

The guardian could remember how just recently his wife and brothers had been through the same turmoil. Facing their past and the memory of their parents had been hard, especially for Matrix and Enzo, who still felt the pain at knowing their father's experiment had been what destroyed their home. Bob didn't know what that was like, to lose a home, but he knew what losing a parent felt like it. He had felt it twice. Once when his mother deleted and second when he felt his father deleted too. 

And he remembered. 

Remembered every hurtful word his father had ever told him. 

Thinking about Dot, especially in the Web and when he came back, he agonized over whether he would be a good father. He knew Dot would be a wonderful mother right off the bat, but he wasn't sure of himself. He and Matrix had a lot in common. The renegade just couldn't get past what his own father had done to really remember what he had been like. It had been easier for Enzo, maybe because he didn't have to go through what Matrix did and he did have a stand in father in Bob, but Matrix... The two guardians had some really good talks when they both approached fatherhood for the first time. Their experiences had changed them so much, they had just begun to getting back to their relatively normal lives. The thought that they could now potentially hinder their children in some way scared them. To them, father didn't have any meaning to it. It was just a word. 

And until now, it had been. 

But now, Bob's father was back. He didn't know why and he didn't really care. He just wanted him gone. If just for his personal safety. Bob knew Mouse was on the prowl for the blue sprite and after that long talk with Dot, she would make sure his father stayed as far away as possible. Even the guardian himself felt things could heated if the two of them were ever in a room together. But something inside of Bob told him he couldn't run away forever. He had beaten the curse. He wasn't a bad father to his children, whom he loved dearly. Dot and her brothers had run away for so long until they had no choice but to face their own music. 

That's what Bob would do. Whether it turned out good or sour, he'd get what he had to say off his chest. 

* * * 

Kit zipped along the edge of Floating Point, noting how many things had occurred here. His aunt and uncle had gotten married here. Enzo had his first date with Alex here. It was special to Kit too. It was somewhere he could be alone for a bit. Something big was going on and for some reason, the adults in his life wouldn't tell him what it was. They had always been straight forward with him, even though he was just a kid, but now it seemed as though his adult manner was being treated like a little boy trying to be bigger. 

Letting out a frustrated sigh, he landed on the grass in the middle of the park. 

He was soon joined by Frisket, who came jogging over with a ball in his mouth. Kit shook his head, laughing, as he took the dripping wet ball from the dog's mouth and threw it. Something about that dog...he was more human than any dog he had ever met. Frisket knew when his masters were down or feeling low. That's what made him special. 

He had gone through so much, just to protect the little boy who he had followed home one second. It wasn't as if the Matrix family owned the dog ~he was feral, after all. He was his own dog~ it was more like he had adopted them. He was their bodyguard, even if it meant attacking one of his masters if it meant saving another. Enzo and Matrix were the true owners, but if ever one of them crossed that line...all in all, the dog was just a big pussycat. 

Unless you crossed him. 

The big dog came running back, panting and wanting to play again. "Okay, okay." Kit giggled, trying to keep the dog calm. He threw the ball again and Frisket tore after it. 

"Hello Christopher." said a voice behind him. 

Kit turned around slowly and looked up at the blue sprite that stood before him. "Who wants to know?" he asked, suspiciously. 

"You really don't know me, but you should." he said. 

"And why's that?" the boy asked. 

"I don't look familiar to you?" 

"You're the guy who walked off the ship earlier." Kit replied. "So give me a medal. Now, really, who are you?" 

"I'm your grandfather." 

* * * 

Mouse had been trying to talk to Bob all second. It was growing close to night when he finally answered one of her vidwindows. He looked upset, naturally, but much calmer than she would've expected. "I've been ringin' for some time, Sugah." she said. 

"I wonder who that was." he whispered. 

"Are you all right, Bob?" 

"No." he said, chuckling a bit. "But thanks for asking." 

"You all talked out I figure." 

The guardian nodded. "I told Dot." he said. "Everything." 

"No wonder you look like a living zombie." the hacker joked. "Even_ I _don't know everything and we grew up together." 

"I'm gonna have to tell everybody." 

"No you don't." she said, wagging a finger in front of him. "Now Bob, this is between you and your Daddy and no one else. Now, yes Dot had to know and maybe I do too, but I don't need the details. Matrix, AndrAIa, everybody do not need to know this." 

"They'll find out sooner or later, Mouse." he sighed. "I'd rather it come from me. They gotta know." 

Mouse shook her head, sadly. "It's your decision, Bob." she said, finally. "I don't agree with it, but its your decision." 

The two were quiet for a bit before Bob asked, "You haven't seen him, have you?" 

"Lately?" she asked. "No. Not since he bumped into us at the Diner. Why? You ain't to confront him, are you?" 

"I don't know what I'm going to do." he sighed. "I just know, for the first time in a long time, I'm out of options to a problem that I can't solve." 

"Let me solve it for you." 

The guardian shook his head sadly. "No more deletions, Mouse." he said. "I can bear to live with myself now." 

"You had nothing to do with your Mama's death, Bob." she told him. 

The guardian looked at her and sighed once more. "I'll talk to you later." he said, before closing the connection. 

* * * 

Enzo continued watching television even after Matrix, AndrAIa, and Chip left. He felt horrible and sneaky. But in the end, he was responsible, just like Matrix and AndrAIa were, even his brother did make the call itself. Turbo had informed them about Bob coming to the Academy and the second his father had come and left. When the Prime Guardian had walked back into his office, the lad's cheek was slightly red. 

He couldn't tell them much about their relationship though. 

Enzo was really at a crossroads. On hand, he really did want to know what Bob was going through. He wasn't just a brother, he was more than that. He always had been. He had never seen the blue guardian upset over something. On the other hand, he agreed with Mouse. Bob didn't have to tell them anything if he didn't want to. It wasn't like when Enzo's parents had been on display during their bug problem. The battle between the Matrix siblings had been a public one. This didn't have to be if Bob didn't want it to. 

They could offer their friendship if anything else. 

  


**In Memories Are Made of This, the Matrix siblings had to face the past of their parents' actions that caused the Twin City explosion. In this arc, Bob must confront his own childhood demons. This is the fifth chapter of the arc. Confronting the ghosts of the past is harder than expected.**

**Arc 4 - Chapter 5 - Confronting the Ghost**

The next second started for Robert Packard in Dot's Diner, sitting in a corner booth, having the breakfast special. No one really paid that much attention to him until four familiar sprites walked in through the door. They each gave him their own looks to delete before heading over to a center booth. He watched them out of the corner of his eyes, hushed whispering between them. He sat back to gaze their attitudes. Melissa Pact ~Mouse as she wanted to be known~ was still the little trouble maker he remembered. From the look she glared at him, she had a score to settle. The two guardians that came in with her ~Packard guessed they were Miss Matrix's brothers~ also gave him a look, which he gladly returned. He hated guardians. He had ever since...knowing that his son was here and still wearing that icon just made him furious. And this system. Not one, not two, but_ three _guardians. 

Sickening. 

His eyes darted over to the small boy that had walked through the kitchen. Kit grabbed his energy bar from the counter and headed over to the booth where the four sprites sat. He shared a view words with them before he headed for school. He turned to head for the door when he stopped dead in his tracks. Seeing the elder blue sprite sitting in the corner, Kit locked eyes with him as he moved towards the exit. Packard gave his grandson ~still something he wasn't used to~ a smile and a nod. Kit too gave the sprite a nod and headed out the door. The sprite had talked about himself with the boy ~not saying anything bad about his father, of course~ while trying to gage what his son had said about him. He was relieved, if not slightly saddened, to learn his grandson knew nothing of him and was still slightly suspicious that this indeed was his father's father. Packard had just told the boy he'd be in the system for a while and to come and see him if he wanted. He promised the boy wouldn't get in trouble if he did. Packard turned when he saw his son also come through the kitchen to the front of the Diner, looking very disheveled. The two spied each other and soon turned back to their own little Nets, trying to co-exist in the one they were both stuck in. 

"You look a little tired, Bob." AndrAIa remarked. 

"Long night." the guardian replied, tiredly. "I see the old man's here." 

"So he is..." Matrix started, interrupted by Bob's nod. 

"I think you need to find out why he's here, Guardian." Mouse said, looking over the seat to glare at the sprite. 

"I intend to." Bob said, a look of determination and anger etched in his features. "Not here though. And certainly not right this nano." 

"We're right behind you, Bob." Enzo said. Matrix nodded in agreement. 

Bob smiled, thankful for the support. 

* * * 

"Hey Kitten Little." 

Sabrina sat next to her cousin during lunch at the Little Bits elementary armada. The girl noticed her cousin didn't seem to be in a very talkative mood that second. "Hey, what's eating you, Gilbert Grape?" she asked, poking him in the shoulder. 

"You remember that blue sprite that got off the barge yesterday?' he asked. 

"Yeah." she nodded. "Kinda looked familiar, too, but Dad, Enzo, and I couldn't tell you who..." 

"He's my grandfather." 

"Dude." Sabrina whispered. 

"Dude is right." Kit replied bitterly. 

Sabrina did a knowing intake of breath. "Touchy subject I see." 

"I hate this, Sabrina." the boy said, anger and furry welling up inside of him. "I hate being left in the dark like this. It's like Grandma and Grandpa Matrix all over again." 

"Calm down." the girl soothed. "Things worked out, right? They'll work out again." 

"Only problem is this grandfather's alive and I've talked to him." 

"And?" Sabrina asked. 

Kit was silent for a nano, the same look of determination his father often got across his face. "I'm gonna find out what's going on." he said. "Any way possible." 

* * * 

Packard finished his breakfast, left the Diner, and headed out to explore more of the system. He was already in Baudway, had been given a personal view of the Principal Office, and had an I/O shot in sector 31. He needed to go somewhere else. Being a business man, he headed over to the Wall Street sector. He had dabbed a little bit in stocks and stuff and wanted to see how the system handled it here. 

He had just arrived when he heard the dreaded... 

**WARNING:INCOMING GAME! WARNING: INCOMING GAME!**

Looking up, the blue sprite found himself underneath a falling purple cube. 

* * * 

"Yes!" Sabrina exclaimed, hopping on her zipboard and heading for the cube. "Nothing like a game to pick up a slow second!" 

* * * 

The cube soon descended with a small thud in the middle of Wall Street. Everyone in the Principal Office's main chamber looked at the screen ahead of them and checked their readings. 

"Confirmed." replied Specky. "Readings say five people are in the game." 

"Five?" Dot asked, surprised. 

"Only Bob and Matrix left." AndrAIa said. 

"Enzo coulda joined them." Mouse drawled. "And five gets ya ten says Sabrina dragged Kit along with her." 

"I'll take that bet." the game sprite joked. 

"Keep me informed, Lieutenant." Dot said, staring at the screen. She didn't know why, but she just knew something wasn't right. 

* * * 

"What're you doing in here?" 

Packard turned around to see four sprites staring at him in interest. The voice had belonged to his son, who stood with his arms folded across his chest. Next to him stood one of Miss Matrix's brothers and then he noticed the same two children that were in the bay when he first arrived. 

"Some father you are, Robert." Packard replied, glancing at Kit. "Letting your son into games. Isn't that a bit dangerous?" 

"Kit can handle himself." Matrix growled. "I made sure of that_ personally._" 

"I asked you a question." Bob said, turning the sprite to face him. "What're you doing in here?" 

"I was just standing in Wall Street." his father replied. "When the cube dropped." 

"Didn't anyone ever teach you not to stand under a dropping game cube?" Sabrina asked, with an evil grin on her face. 

Packard glared at her. "Didn't anyone ever teach you to respect your elders?" he spat. 

"No." 

"Guys, we can work these kinks out later, huh?" Kit suggested. "If you haven't noticed, we're in a dark alley, all alone, and it's awfully quiet." 

The sprites finally made an effort to look around at their surroundings. True to Kit's words, they found themselves in a very, very dark alley, with one badly lit street lamp off to the side. A couple of doors lined their area and a few trash cans lay in their path. "Well, this is certainly somewhere I'd want to take my vacation." Sabrina muttered, sarcastically. 

"What exactly is this game?" Packard asked, looking around them. 

Bob closed his eyes, trying to gain some insight from Glitch. "The User works from some sort of group that's based in VR." 

"So this virtual reality?" asked Kit. 

"The User has to kill us in order for us to die out in 'real Net' if you will." Sabrina added. "Our job is to get the Net out of here before he finds us." 

"The only way is out is to get to a telephone and call our way out." Bob finished. "There's one somewhere in this building." He pointed to the door on the right. 

"Well, I guess we can rest assured that you..._guardians _are on the job." Packard huffed. "And we all know how guardians let small children play dangerous games." 

"Listen you," Sabrina started, pointing a slender finger at the blue sprite. 

"Sabrina!" Bob hushed. 

Staring up at the blue sprite before her, Sabrina kept a hold of her comment, only because this guy was supposedly her cousin's grandfather. Calming a bit, she said, "If you're gonna help, help. If not, stay out of our way." The two shared a glare before Sabrina hit her icon and yelled, "Reboot." which was followed by three others. 

* * * 

Sabrina had tried to be objective. 

She had tried to be open minded. 

But it just wasn't working. 

As much as she had been interested to know that her uncle's father was in the system, the fact that the very same sprite was driving her crazy to no end in sight was starting to get on her nerves. Not to mention flaring her anger. The elder blue sprite was showing complete contempt for not only her father, but her uncle too. In fact, the only person he seemed to be listening to was Kit. Within the space of a microsecond, a game nano, the two had formed a buddy-buddy team, which did not include the likes of Sabrina or Bob or Matrix. 

She hadn't said anything when the blue sprite had tripped an alarm in the building. 

She hadn't said anything when he practically alerted the User to their whereabouts. 

She had been silent even when he was nearly shot. 

But as soon as the game cube rose...the little girl was silent no more. 

"Just what in the living blue Net do you think you were doing?" She screamed, blocking the path of Packard. "Are you really that basic? Has your old compiling age taken you to the depths of stupidity? You could have gotten us deleted numerous times! You big, dumb, arrogant..." 

"You listen to me, little girl..." Packard started. He stopped short when Matrix approached, characteristic scowl on his face. 

"I really do have half a processor to just delete you myself!" Sabrina continued. 

She was about to continue her tirade when her arm was yanked and she was forced to face an very angry Kit. "Now you listen me." he growled, the proverbial daggers shooting from both of his eyes. "You will treat my grandfather with the utmost respect. For someone who's never been in a game, he managed to stay alive. And I refuse to have a hot-headed, little delinquent like you say anything against that." 

Sabrina's violet eyes widened in shock and surprise. She had never in her life seen her cousin so very angry, especially with her. The two stood staring down one another until Matrix gave a loud whistle and called his daughter to where he was. She continued to stare at the boy, who showed no signs of backing down. "This isn't over." she whispered, before backing off and zipping away with her father. 

"We need to talk." Bob said, furiously, grabbing his father's arm. "Now." 

Packard yanked his arm away. "Remember the last time you did that." he said. 

Bob looked at the blue sprite, the man he had called Dad up until that second at the Academy. "Kit, go home." he told the boy. 

"Dad..." 

"Go home, Christopher." he demanded, giving the boy his own angered look. 

Kit cowered under his father's gaze, unhooked his zipboard, and headed in the direction of the Diner. Bob then turned his glare back to his father. "How dare you try to turn _my _son against me." he growled. "Your actions in the game don't even begin to describe the conversation we're going to have right now." 

"You remember who you're talking to, Robert." 

"I'm talking to a cold, sadistic bastard." Bob said. He shook his head, nervous laughter in his voice. "Did you ever care about me? Did you ever give a thought to my happiness at any time in your life?" Packard just looked away. "I know Mom's death hurt you deeply, but..." 

Packard turned to look at him. This sprite who had been the product of his love with the sprite he loved and cherished. This same sprite who had murdered her and then had joined a gang of murderers. "Hurt me?" he whispered. "You will never know how much pain you caused to your mother." 

Bob choked back a small sob. "I didn't delete her." 

"Maybe not on purpose." his father replied. "But you certainly did delete her. She loved you more than anything and then you turn around and became a murder. How you can live with yourself is beyond me." 

"I've done a lot of things, Dad, but I...I..." 

Packard walked over to his son, who seemed on the verge of tears. "That second, the second you had fallen. I remember it like it was yesterday. You had gone out to play in an area I told you not to." he said, talking in his son's ear. "And what happens? You fall and scrape your knee. Meri cleaned it off and kissed it before she applied the band-aid. She became deathly ill after that, before finally...You know what? You didn't delete your mother." 

Bob looked up slowly at his father. Was he joking? Playing a cruel joke? 

"You might as well deleted her though." 

The guardian shook his head, unable to understand what his father was telling him. 

"That icon of yours..." he said, giving it a disgusted look. "Those brothers in law you have...the whole academy... a disgrace to the whole Net. No, Robert. You didn't delete your mother." Packard held his son's blue chin in his hands, turning it to look at him, and squeezing it hard, making Bob's lips pucker a bit. 

"The guardians did." 

* * * 

Mouse had seen tempers flying, but none like this. 

She'd been sitting in the Diner when a less than pleasant Kit stormed through the door. Ignoring her greeting and nearly shoving Cecil through the window, the boy burst through the kitchen door and headed downstairs. She was just recovering from that little display, when AndrAIa walked in, a little upset herself. Apparently Matrix and Sabrina weren't in the best of moods either. From what she gathered, the two had been in a game with Bob and Kit. 

And a surprise visitor. 

The hacker had just about enough of Bob's father. She was about to locate the sprite when Bob walked in, not looking his best either. He too ignored the greetings she and AndrAIa had handed out and slumped his way to his apartment. The two women looked at each other in confusion as to what exactly was going on here. Mouse didn't need any explanations. She knew exactly who was responsible. 

  


**A new family. A new beginning. The newly formed Lan family had everything going for them until the second it all came to a halt. What's the deadly family secret this family holds? How did it delete one life and ruin two more? Welcome to the six chapter of the arc. It's time to explore the past.**

**Arc 4 - Chapter 6 - Meredith**

Meredith Lan, formerly Meredith Capp, was starting life with a new husband and a baby on the way. The young sprite had been given the best in life, including living in the mega capitol of the Net, The Super Computer. She was an energetic, outgoing young woman, with light blue skin and the most darling hazel eyes. 

Everyone who knew her thought she was a wonderful person to be around. She had a smile for everyone and you could be comforted with her girlish laugh. 

She had so much to live for. 

Meredith had grown up in the Super Computer. Her father was one of the technical engineers in the Principal Office Administration building and her mother worked as a nurse at the Guardian Academy. She had a young sister, Louisa, who was going to be a guardian herself one second. Meredith went to school in the SC and then went on to Norton High School where she met the sprite she would marry. Robert Lan had been a tall, shy, quiet young junior when they met, but he soon grew out of his shell whenever he was around her. Most people did. 

They both graduated and dated for a few more hours before he asked for her hand in marriage. Of course, she excepted. Robert went on to a business college stationed near the GA so Meredith would be able to do research at the Academy. They had talked about starting a family: Meri so wanted children. Robert, however, did not. He felt children would ruin the relationship that they had built for each other. She had laughed at him. 

"Silly," she said. "Children enhance the relationship if any. I want us to be a family, Robbie." 

A few minutes later, she became pregnant. 

Robert tried to be distant with her, but in the end, he became like any other expectant father. Meri loved him so much. She hoped if they had a son, he'd grow up to be like him. He seemed reserved and quiet and unapproachable in person, but once you got to know the sprite, he was kind and sweet. Considerate. When she was nearly due, he had made dinner for her and waited with her in the hospital for the doctor to arrive. It didn't take very long and soon, Robert Packard Lan, Jr. made his way into the Net. He looked exactly like his father, but as he grew up, she knew he was more like her. Energetic, outgoing, always making friends where ever he went. She loved him more than anything. Bobby, as she preciously named him, loved playing and romping around. Even as an infant, once he started crawling, you couldn't stop him. He was curious about the Net they lived in and everything that went around it. As she watched him play, she noticed even Robert enjoyed fatherhood. As much as he had denied it, he loved his son and loved coming home to his new family and playing and checking on the baby. As she looked at them, at her little family, she knew she only had a short time to live. 

She would be dead before she saw Bobby compile into an adult. 

She and her doctor had talked about the risks of having children and what it would do to her system. Meredith had been born with some irregular conditions that would make becoming pregnant and initializing children extremely difficult. But when she got pregnant, her readings were normal and the doctor said for her to check in regularly. Nothing seemed to go wrong. Even after Bobby had been initialized, her doctor told her she was okay, until the second she came into her office. 

"Meri, I've got some good news and bad news." the doctor replied, gesturing to an empty chair. 

"I think I'll take the good news first, if you don't mind." 

"Robert, Jr.'s birth was fine." he told her. "But...we think there might have been a problem caused. As you know, you're not exactly a very healthy girl and I did warn you about the dangers having children would cause for you. What I think is, as long as you stay away from certain hazardous products, this shouldn't be a problem." 

"What kind of hazardous products?" Meri asked curiously. 

"I know you work in the lab at the Academy." her doctor said. "So I've written out a list of certain things that could totally devastate your code if you're careful. Now, I talked to the Prime Guardian and he assured me you won't go near any of this stuff." He handed a file with a medium list of things for her to stay away from. 

"But this comprises half of my research!" she exclaimed. 

"I'm sorry, Meredith." the doctor said. "But if you want to see your son compile up, I suggest you keep away from that stuff on the list." 

She had followed doctors orders up to a point. Things that were very low on the list she continued to use in her research. On her next visit, the doctor noticed her code was slightly unstable, but nothing to worry about. It wasn't until a few cycles later that she begun to worry. It was the second Bobby had gotten a bruise on his knee. He had come in crying, saying how he had fallen from his zipboard and had an owie. She sat him on the counter and cleaned his wound, kissing it, before putting a band-aid over it. She had then headed off to a little bit of work. Leaving Bobby with the baby sitter, Meredith headed to the Academy lab. She worked there as a lab assistant in order to get a medical degree. Her research entailed handling of the guardians that had been hurt in the games or the nulls that some had been. Luckily for the SC, their guardians were highly trained and losing a game was very very nil at best. But still, trying to help the guardians succeed in beating the games was high priority at the Academy, as was making sure their hurt guardians would be all right o live to see another second. 

So, she had gone in that second, not knowing that she would handling a beaker that contained some of the very things she had to avoid. 

  


**Can one's secret cause tension to everyone around? Robert Packard is in Mainframe for a vacation, Robert Lan is in a turmoil of his own, and it seems that everyone involved has their own little issues. Will this new inside leak lead to a total breakdown? Welcome to the seventh chapter.******

**Arc 4 - Chapter 7 - The Final Breakdown**

Ray was confused, if not disturbed a bit. 

The things that his friends seemed to be going through was off the scale. Just a few minutes back, they had fought the Matrixes' inner demons and now Bob was going through his own. The web surfer wasn't sure if he should do anything to help. Everyone involved seemed to be very closed mouth about whatever was going on. His Mouse seemed the most resistant about talking about the whole situation. He had been meaning to ask Sabrina or Kit until he had been a witness to the "incident". 

Ray had walked into the Diner one second, after having another fight with his hacker girlfriend. Ray had started becoming concerned about this whole thing and it had started a rift between them. So, after having a nice cool-me-down-flight on his Baud, he headed to the Diner. From the window, he could tell the gang was already there. Well, at least some of them. Sabrina and Kit stood facing each other, apparently talking. Matrix and Enzo sat in the booth, watching the scene take place. In fact, it seemed _everyone _in the Diner was focused on the two children. Ray didn't know what was going on, until he walked in. 

"I don't understand this holy alliance you seemed to have formed with the guy." Sabrina said, folding her arms. "Especially when you just met him for the first time two seconds ago." 

"He's my grandfather, Sabrina." the boy shot back. "He's my Dad's dad." 

"Yeah, and they seem to be getting along great as well." Matrix muttered sarcastically. 

"Face it, Kit." Sabrina said, giving the boy a shove. "You're just mad cause you have no idea why he's here." 

"He came back for me." Kit replied. "He didn't even know I existed. He came to make things right." 

"So he says." Enzo argued. 

Kit looked at his uncles and cousin with a look of disgust on his face. "What is wrong with you people?" he exclaimed. "Are you seriously that jealous about the fact that_ my _grandparent is still alive?" 

"Now wait just one nano." Sabrina said, stepping up to her cousin. "If you think we've got some kind of complex, you're seriously mistaken. And, just for the record,_ my _grandparents certainly wouldn't wait until I was initialized to come see me." 

That was the last straw for Kit. He was getting tired of everyone rushing to judgement about his grandfather being back in their lives. He just couldn't understand why everyone seemed to assume the blue sprite only meant harm to the system. Stepping closer to Sabrina, he said, "One more remark like that, I'll have your ASCII on the floor." 

"You don't have the circuits go against me." Sabrina replied, looking up at her cousin. "And even if you did, Cecil would have to pry your over inflated head from the seat cushions." 

With a last look to his cousin, Kit started to walk away, but was stopped by Matrix, who grabbed his arm forcefully. "Stay away from my daughter." the renegade growled. 

"You stay away from my grandfather." Kit challenged back, yanking his arm away and pointing at the big sprite. "And my father." 

Kit then stormed away from the group, bumping into his mother without a word of apology or even a look of regret. Dot watched as everyone went back to their meals, trying to look away from the young leader. Cecil passed her with a sympathetic look on his face. Ray got her eye and just shrugged his shoulders. 

* * * 

Bob had been walking for what seemed like forever. 

He couldn't believe it. 

He hadn't deleted his mother like he had thought, but somehow the guardians had. The blue guardian was unsure on how exactly that happened, but he still didn't feel like the whole story had come out. His father still felt that his son had murdered his wife and there was no changing the sprite's processor. That's what hurt the most. Bob had felt horrible for what he had done...or what he_ thought _he had done and all the while, he hadn't been responsible. 

But it still didn't make sense. 

His father hadn't helped any. After dropping a proverbial bomb shell, the blue sprite had just walked away, leaving Bob confused and saddened. In his heart of hearts, Bob had hoped for a reconciliation with his father. He had hoped the hours spent away from each other would make the blue sprite wish he had done things differently, but Bob didn't sense that. And now, it seemed as though his father was turning his own son against him. He just couldn't understand. 

Bob realized his walk had taken him directly in front of the Principal Office, causing him to get a sad smile on his face. If anyone could help, it would be the small sprite that resided there. Punching in his authorization code, Bob opened the doors and walked in. He walked down the long corridor, hoping to find the sprite in the command room. He saw Hack and Slash guarding the door and knew Dot must be around. His journey then took him to the sprite's office, where he could not be found. Thinking, Bob suddenly snapped his fingers and headed to the conservatory. 

That's where he was. 

Phong stood, humming, and watering his plants as Bob walked in. "Ah, Guardian." he replied, not bothering to turn around and see his visitor. "It is nice of you to visit me this lovely second." 

Bob shook his head in amusement. "Phong, how did you know it was me?" he asked. 

The wise sprite turned to face him. "I know when one of my friends is in distress." 

Bob lowered his eyes. "You know, huh?" 

"Come and walk with me, my son." Phong replied, taking the guardian by the arm. 

The two walked through a small path with trees and plants on either side. "I hear there is a visitor in our system." Phong replied. "A sprite you knew very well. A sprite from your past." 

"You've been talking to Dot." 

"You must admit she is worried." the wise continued. "As is everyone else." 

"I'm not sure how I should feel, Phong." Bob said, sighing. "Things between him and I...they've been hectic since my mother's deletion. And now, just this second, I find out something about that time...something I didn't even know about." 

"Sometimes, looking in one's past can help their future." 

"But that's just it, Phong." Bob said, stopping and looking down at the small sprite. "I don't know about my past. I mean, I thought I did until today and now...all I know is, becoming a guardian was the best thing for me and look what I got in return. If I hadn't become a guardian, I never would've come to Mainframe, and met Dot and... well, you know the story." Bob grinned. "Phong, you know how I feel about keeping secrets, especially in a family and how it can totally devastate them, but..." 

"Guardian, it seems you have broken your own rule." the wise sprite said, sympathetically. 

"I know, I know." Bob sighed. "I just...it's like my time in the Web. It took hours before I told Dot what happened." Looking down, he whispered, "There's still some things I haven't told her. This thing with my Dad..." 

"You need not explain it to me." the wise sprite remarked, continuing on his walk. "Sometimes, pain causes one to seal up the hurt and harbor it until another time. It is in this pain, that one makes mistakes, hurts others for their own personal gain. Do you feel your father is like this?" 

"I'm not sure." Bob said. "He and Kit seem to have hit it off. I can't begin to tell you what kind of influence he's gotten over him now." 

"Bob, if you truly feel your father is a threat in the system, you can always have him leave." 

"I know." 

Bob was quiet for a nano, contemplating over the real reason he wanted...needed his father to stay. "I have to know what this is about, Phong." he said at last. "Now that it's out in the open, I need to know what's going on." 

"Then your first step, my son, is to seek the truth to your past." 

* * * 

Packard sat on his bed, in his tiny room for this vacation. He hadn't realized how upset he had been until he had come back to his housing for his stay. He had finally told his son the truth, the awfully truth on how his mother had...shaking his head, the blue sprite closed his eyes. He could recall that second like it had just happened...__

_He was sitting in their bedroom...correction. His bedroom now. The house was so quiet, the boy had gone against his wishes and joined that ruffian guardian school. Robert couldn't believe it. He was now a disgrace. Oh sure, everyone said they were proud that his son would be a guardian one second and would help other systems, but he knew deep down inside they were disgusted. He could tell from their eyes._

_And now, his son was a murderer.___

_Robert had blamed his son for his wife death soon afterwards, but after what he had found out...only a little over an hour ago, he had discovered the truth. And by pure accident, too. He had been talking with a client from his firm. The sprite talked and talked, said how sorry he was to hear about Meri's death. "She was a wonderful little girl." he had said. He then mentioned how Gate, the then Prime Guardian, had too been so distraught over her death and had blamed himself. Robert's ears had perked up upon hearing this._

_"Mr. Stevenson," he said, trying to smile at the little grey sprite. "What're you talking about?"_

_"Oh, well you know how Gate was." Stevenson replied. "He was so close to his research students."___

_At first Robert had been heartbroken. Could his darling Meredith have been having an affair with the Prime Guardian? He couldn't believe it, but he had gone and checked. Asking favors from some friends he knew, he got the whole story from undercover. His relief that Meri wasn't having an affair was only dampened when he learned how Meredith had really gotten sick. Her last second at the Academy had been spent toying around with a few of the chemicals she needed for her project.___

_Robert then learned that one of the beakers had been improperly marked by one of the cadets under Gate. It turned out it was one of the chemicals Meredith's doctor had warned her about. Somehow it had been absorbed into her skin and had gone straight to her already damaged circuits. Someone from the lab had reported it to the Prime Guardian, who had just ignored it until Meri was laid to rest. then began the cover up to shield the young sprite's family from ever knowing what had really happened._

_It was a mistake._

_A deadly accident._

_A mistake that took away a wife and mother._

_An accident that had changed their lives._

Packard sighed sadly. After gathering more evidence, he had gone to the guardian school to rescue his only son from the harm they would do to him, just to be rejected and glared at. He had slapped the boy for his insolence and then had stormed out of Turbo's office, passing the current Prime on his way out. He had walked home, stormed into the house and started to pack. The boy had obviously drawn the battle lines and Packard was leaving. 

Taking all his loose possessions with him, the blue sprite left his house unlocked. Left the Super Computer for good and started to travel around the Net. Somewhere along the way, he met his second wife and they lived happily for about five hours, until she upped and left him for another sprite. But he wasn't bitter. He just picked up his stuff and continued to travel on, until he settled in Quadtrain. Then he had to leave thanks to the super virus Daemon. He wasn't mad ~well, maybe a little~ but he did what he usually did. 

He got up and traveled. 

And that's how he had arrived in this system. Mainframe. Unaware that his only son lived here, unaware that he was a father in law or a grandfather for that matter. And already, with the exception of his grandson Kit, he didn't like his new in-laws. His daughter in law was lovely to look at, no doubt, but she was the leader of the system and certainly to be involved with his son was just unacceptable. And of course, there were her guardian brothers, whom he had disliked from the moment he had laid eyes on them. And that niece of hers. Could any little girl be so disrespectful. But above all, there was one sprite here he hated the most. 

Melissa Paige Pact. 

The hacker known as Mouse had always led the boy into trouble and was surely doing it now. It had probably been her to suggest joining the Academy and probably her to want him to marry the Command.Com. That little witch had a way of manipulating anyone she came into contact with, anyone but him. He had always seen through that fake smile and low laugh. If anyone was to be his arch-enemy, it was her. If he had known she would be here, even if he got to see his grown son, he would never have come. 

But now he was planning of leaving again. 

But this time, he hoped he would have some company. 

  


**Looking back at the past can sometimes help figure things out for the future. But sometimes that past may not bring the peace and joy we're looking for. You've entered the eighth chapter of this arc. When the past brings pain and heartache, with the future be the doorway to hell?******

**Arc 4 - Chapter 8 - A Hasty Retreat**

**THE PAST**

It was finally time for a break. Bob was so excited to be out and about in the Super Computer. He had gone class after class, making good grades of course, but he wanted some adventure. He was still an undergrad, so he couldn't go into actual games, only the VR ones. But he didn't mind. The VR games were so life like sometimes, it was hard to imagine it was only a simulator. 

He was also glad to be out for another reason. Earlier in the semester, his father had come, trying to get him to quit the Academy and come home with him, work in the business arena with him, but Bob had refused and had gotten slapped for his trouble. He could still feel the sting on his cheek from where he had hit him. The young cadet hoped his father had calm down a bit since then. He just couldn't understand why the blue sprite didn't like guardians. He couldn't remember any guardian doing them harm in the past. He just couldn't understand it. 

Above all, Bob wanted his father to be proud of him. 

Sighing in remembrance, the young sprite hopped on his zipboard and headed for home. He waved to all the sprites and binomes he knew, as he skirted across the sky, doing tricks for the girls he passed. Landing down on the lawn of his house, he quickly ran up the steps to the front door. He opened it and walked in. "Hey Dad, I'm home!" he called, putting his zipboard down by the door. "Dad?" Not receiving an answer the first two times, Bob quickly made a search of the house, finding no one. Looking in his father's bedroom, he noticed the closet was empty, a suitcase was gone, but yet the bed was made. 

Shaking his head in confusion, he walked out and nearly collided with a small binome. Looking down, Bob immediately recognized her as their neighbor, Matilda Hoppsteader. "Sorry about that, Miss Hoppsteader." Bob apologized, giving the woman a crooked grin, his trademark. "See, I just got home and I was looking for my Dad, but..." The young cadet stopped mid-sentence when he saw the look on the binome's face. "What?" he asked. 

Miss Hoppsteader looked down at the ground, unable to meet the eyes of the lad. "Oh Bobby," she sighed. "About your dad..." 

"What about him?" Bob asked, quickly. "Is he hurt? Is he...?" 

"No, no." she said, eyes still glued to the floor. "I'm sure he's perfectly all right, but..." 

"So where is he?" 

Gulping, the small woman finally had the courage to look into the cadet's brown eyes. "He's not here, Bobby." 

"Well, I can see that." Bob replied, sarcastically. "Where is he?" 

"I don't know where he is," she stated. "But I can tell you I don't think he's coming back." 

Bob stood and looked down at her, a slightly confused look manifesting itself through his eyes. "Miss Hoppsteader..." 

"Listen Bobby," she explained. "He left one second to go to see you and when he came back, he just packed up and didn't return. I wish I could say he was all right or that he's coming back, but I can't. He just upped and left. I'm so sorry, sweetie." 

Bob crashed hard into the wall behind him, his knees giving way under his weight. If he understood completely, his father had more or less abandoned him. He had just packed his things, not caring to see his son or even tell the lad that he was going on a very extended vacation of sorts. Bob had been left there to take of himself, by himself. He was only 1.4, what could he possibly do? What_ would _he possibly do? 

All he was doing now was sliding down the wall to the floor and trying to keep from crying. 

* * * 

Robert Lan, Sr. made one stop before exiting the SC. He stopped at a nearby ID station to make himself an ID pass. He hadn't had an ID pass since he first arrived in the Super Computer, so now he needed a new identity. He didn't want to be known as the father of a guardian and certainly not when that certain guardian shared his name. Walking up to the station, the clerk asked, "Okay Mister, what'll it be?" 

"I need an ID pass please." 

"Okey doke." the clerk replied, yawning as he reached over and grabbed a couple of form files. "What's the name?" 

Robert thought for a moment, trying to think of a very good name that would shield from the attention he'd receive if anyone knew the dark secrets he carried, but yet he still wanted his name. He liked his name. It certainly wasn't his fault if a murderer was known by it. The clerk looked at him, clearly bored and impatient. "Hey Mac," he said, snapping his fingers. "The name? Of yours? Is what?" 

"Packard." he said quickly. "Robert Packard." 

And with that, the blue sprite started a new life. 

* * * 

**THE PRESENT**

"Find out anything?" 

Bob shook his head before laying it on Dot's stomach. After his talk with Phong, he and Dot had been through the Super Computer Archives, with Turbo's permission, to look deeper into this whole guardian and mother's deletion thing. Dot had retired early, while Bob stayed up going over more things. Nothing. Sighing in frustration and defeat, he went to their bedroom, stopping to check on the twins and have a small talk with Kit, before crawling into bed next to Dot. 

"I found nothing." he said, dejectedly. "The only way I'll get answers is from him, and that's like pulling teeth in itself." 

"I wish I could say or do something to help." she whispered. 

"Believe me, you are." he said, a small smile forming on his lips. 

"Just repaying the favor." 

The two lay in silence before Bob asked, "What were your parents like?" 

"I've told you before." Dot said. "Many times in fact." 

"I know, but I wanna hear it again." 

Dot ran her fingers through his short black and silvery hair. When they had been expecting Kit, they would often talk about their family background, mostly it was Dot describing her parents and what they were like. It wasn't until after Kit had been initialized and was a toddler before she had found out about Bob's parents. And certainly now, with the recent events involving the Matrix doctors' work and now Bob's estranged father in the system, she seemed to be telling him a lot about her parents. 

It was almost as though Bob had wanted them as his own. 

"I wish you could've met them, Bob." she whispered. "They would've loved you, especially my mom. Sometimes, especially when Matrix and Enzo were smaller, it was like having a little Mom running around. The same's true for Kit. Speaking of which, remember a few seconds ago, I said we needed to talk about him." 

Bob nodded against her stomach. "The science thing." he said, much to Dot's surprise. "I know about it already." 

Dot shook her head with amusement and said, "I'll forgo the Q&A about how you know, but what do you think we should do?" 

"You know what I've learned most from my father?" he asked, unexpectantly. 

"What?" 

"I learned that if I ever had children, if I ever had a son, I would do things differently. He was so set against me going to the Guardian Academy...I've been giving it some thought actually." 

"Me, too." Dot replied. 

"You know the Science Institute in the Super Computer?" 

Dot nodded, though Bob couldn't see the gesture. "I've heard about it." she said. "It's supposed to be the best scientific learning school in the Net." 

"I heard so too." Bob hugged her tightly. "You thinking what I'm thinking?" 

"I think so." Dot grinned. "So when are we going to talk to him about it?" 

"After this mess is over." Bob replied, his slightly happier mood and tone suddenly replaced by a much more bitter one. 

"It'll work itself out, you know that." she soothed. 

"You know, sometimes I look at Kit or the twins and I think about him. Back to the second he completely changed. I loved Mom just as much as he did. It deleted me knowing I had somehow caused her to...to..." 

"Shh." Dot whispered, repeating her earlier action. "You had nothing to do with her passing away, Bob. Nothing. Why a father would even imagine telling that to his son...whatever happened to her, you had nothing to do with it." 

The guardian was silent for a bit, small tears coming from his eyes. "How come he didn't love me, Dot?" he asked, wishing, hoping, she could explain the blue sprite's behavior during those hours. 

"I don't know, Bobby." she said, using her nickname for him in order to reassure him. His mother had started calling him when he was just a baby. "Some sprites just aren't cut for parenthood, I guess." 

"But I was his son." Bob sniffed. "He should've loved me." 

"Bob, you're talking like the sprite isn't living anymore. He's here and you can make things right if you want. I know things are strained, but maybe he'd gotten wiser and realizes he missed the best thing in the Net and that was raising you and being a part of a family." 

Bob snuggled closer to her, loving just the warmth she gave off. Even if nothing ever went his way again, he was safe with her. Dot always made you feel safe. Being married to her had made him understand why Matrix and Enzo were so close to her. Granted, she was like a mother to them, but...maybe that was it. Dot was like the mother of Mainframe and she was good at it too. 

Bob thought about what she had said and about his past. He had always been lucky, except when it came to the whole teaming-up-with- Megabyte-and-Hexadecimal-thing, but aside from that, he was pretty lucky. Except when it was family. The guardian always seemed to amaze himself whenever he was with Dot or their children. Having his mother delete when he was young and basically losing his father, it was like he tried to do anything that would show the blue sprite up, show him that_ this _was how you raised a family and loved someone. 

He couldn't let him go away and leave without getting some things off his chest. 

"I love you, Dottie." he whispered, closing his eyes and giving her a little squeeze. 

"Yeah, I know." she said, a smile on her face. "I love you, too." With that, the two drifted off to sleep.   


**The pieces of the puzzle are slowly, but surely coming together, but piecing them together will be the true test for Bob. You're now entering the ninth chapter of the arc. Will his friends and family do more damage then he needs?**

**Arc 4 - Chapter 9 - Questions Answered**

**THE PRESENT**

Robert Packard had just walked out of his hotel room, when he ran into three angry sprites as he closed the door. He was surprised to see them, but not very pleased. The three sprites he wanted to see less of were now standing on front of him, menacing looks on their faces. "Can I help you?" he asked, glaring at each of them. 

"Yeah." Mouse replied, withdrawing her katana and holding it up to Packard's throat. "You can let us in." 

"But I was just leaving for my afternoon constitutional." the blue sprite said, gulping as the tip of the blade dangled mere inches from his Adam's apple. 

"Your walk," Matrix growled, pushing open the door. "Has been canceled. Go in." 

Sighing, but still looking defiant, Packard complied with the request and went back inside his room, the three sprites following him. "You mind telling me what in the Net the three of you are doing here?" he asked. 

"We live here." Enzo said, taking the arm chair across from the bed. "You don't. We could actually ask you the same thing." 

"Look," Packard said, facing the young guardian. "I believe I took this up when I talked to your sister. As far as I'm concerned, the matter is over." 

"Not for us it isn't, Honey." Mouse stated. "I thought the Net would crash before I saw the likes of you again." 

"Like old times, eh, Melissa?" Packard asked, sarcastically. He didn't once back down, even as Mouse gave him an evil glare. 

"Have a seat." Matrix said, pushing the blue sprite down on the bed. 

"Don't you lay a finger on me, you guardian scum!" the blue sprite exclaimed, shooting back up and looking the renegade in the eyes. 

"Now you just calm down, Sugah." Mouse replied, putting her katana back to the sprite's throat. "We came here to have a nice talk with you, not to start any trouble. But if you give us cause to, I don't think Bob would care any less. Now, sit down like the man said." 

Packard glared at both opposing forces and did what he was told. 

"Now that we have some semblance of calm," Enzo retorted. "We can get down to business." 

"What do you want?" Packard spat. 

"Answers to some questions we have." Matrix said. "And you're gonna answer them for us." 

Packard gave a short laugh. "Rot in the filth you made for yourself,_ guardian_." he replied, coldly. 

Gun was in Matrix's hand in a nano and pointed at Packard's head. "One more crack like that and I'm gonna bust your head in." 

"Cool it, bro." Enzo said, glancing at his brother. "He's trying to get you all riled up. The last thing he wants is to be deleted." Looking at Packard, he said, "Isn't that right, Mr. Lan?" 

"It's Packard." the blue sprite said. "I haven't been Mr. Lan since the second I left the Super Computer." 

"Why'd you leave?" asked Matrix. 

Packard looked up at him. "Would you stay in the system where your wife was buried?" he asked. 

"You're forgettin' one problem." Mouse spoke up. "You had a little boy to raise." 

Packard looked straight ahead, a cold, hard look on his face. "I have no son." he said. 

"Some would beg to differ." replied Enzo. 

"Look, you all don't know anything about this." Packard spat, looking away from them. "This is between me and the boy. This is no concern of yours." 

"Wrong, old man." Matrix said. "Bob's family. That makes it our business." 

The blue sprite smirked. "Well, a family full of guardians." he said. "That's what I'm an in-law to. What an ironic twist. I suppose young Christopher will follow in his father's mighty footsteps." 

"We're not talking about Kit." Enzo said, leaning forward in his chair. "Leave him out of this." 

"Murderers." Packard whispered, shaking his head sadly. "The whole lot of you. All you do is come in to a system and ravage it for all it's worth then move on to the next, like viruses." 

"You take that back." The renegade growled, pressing the muzzle of Gun deeper into the blue sprite's temple. 

"We fixed what Daemon broke." Enzo recounted. "In fact, if it wasn't for your son in the first place, Mainframe wouldn't be the system it is now." 

"I'm not talking about Daemon, you twit." Packard cried. "Guardians are far worse on their own without having some virus come in and destroy you. I guess the truth will come out, so here it is. On account that your "family" and prodigal son murdered my wife was one thing, but the fact that he joined the very outfit that deleted her was unforgivable." 

"What're you talking about?" Enzo asked. 

"Now don't you dare start this again." Mouse replied. "You know the truth as well as I do." 

"Do you?" Packard asked, pushing Gun from his head and standing. "Do you have any idea? Of course not. You're just a reckless little delinquent, just like you've always been. All you've done now is join a much better bunch of insolent villains." He looked around to the two guardians that now stood. "Three guardians, a female Command. Com, a wanted hacker, a snot nosed little brat...User! I could go on and on all second about how this little system of yours is just a hideout for all the low-life, desolate vermin scum that walk in noon and night. And your precious Bob as the leader. Well, I refuse to have my grandson raised like this. I leave tomorrow morning and he's coming with me." 

And with, Packard stormed out of the room, leaving three stunned sprites left in his wake. 

* * * 

"It seems I owe you an apology." 

Kit stood in front of his cousin, a few nanos before their class was to start. The two had been at each other since the second of the game and more so after their confrontation in the Diner. Sabrina didn't bother looking up, as she hurriedly finished her homework. "Start apologizing." she said, plugging in as many answers as she could. Kit took his seat next to her, as Miss Brodie entered the room. 

"I've been a null and I'm sorry." he said, taking out his work for class. 

"Go on." 

"Go on?" he asked. "What else is there to say?" 

Looking up from her work, Sabrina replied, "How about making some amends to my Dad and Enzo and my Mom and who ever else you've got severely mad at you." 

"Grandpa was right." the boy sighed, getting a look for his comment. 

"We're calling the old man 'grandpa' now?" she asked, sarcastically. "How family like." 

"I wish you all would get off his back!" he exclaimed. 

"Christopher, is there something you'd like to address to the class?" Miss Brodie asked, standing in front of class, hand on her hip. 

Kit looked around and saw he was suddenly the center of the room's attention. Some of the girls giggled as his blue face turned red for disrupting. "No, Miss Brodie." he said, embarrassed. "I'm sorry for speaking out of turn." 

"I'm sorry for speaking out of turn." Sabrina mocked, earning a laugh from the class and a glare from her cousin. 

"If you two are quite finished," Miss Brodie replied, glancing at the two children. "I'd like to get on with class." 

"Yes, Miss Brodie." the two murmured, getting their school work together and giving each other one last dirty look. 

All class period, Kit had a large deal of anger towards his whole family, but underneath all that was a sense of conflict. On one hand, his grandfather had mysteriously shown up just shortly after they had dealt with his grandparents on his mother's side. His father hadn't really mentioned his parents that much to him, not since he had been much smaller and he knew about his grandmother deleting before her time, leaving his father as a small boy with no mother. And now, that blue sprite was back in their lives. Of course Kit wanted to take that advantage. 

But the other hand meant seemingly turning his back on his established family. He couldn't understand why everyone got so defensive whenever the blue sprite's name was brought up. That was the part he hated. He didn't know why everyone acted the way they did. Packard never wanted to come to the Diner or hang out with the family, just him. And certainly the family didn't want anything to do with Packard. That was what Kit needed to find out first and foremost. Despite the contrary, he hated fighting with his family. With anyone! He wasn't a fighter. Oh, he could be, but he didn't want to be. 

And now it seemed he was in another over-his-head struggle. 

* * * 

AndrAIa was slightly confused. 

She had been in the Principal Office with Phong and Specky when the boys and Mouse had walked...actually, rather stormed in, all talking at the same time. Even with her superb hearing, the game sprite only caught bits and pieces, it all sounding like Kit and Packard hated deleting guardians who had run away with Bob's mother. Knowing that couldn't be right at all, she tried to get the three to calm down. 

"That dirty, blasted son of a null!" Mouse exclaimed, pacing back and forth in front of her. 

"He's nuts." Enzo said, hurriedly. "Completely off the far end of the Data Slides." 

"The guy practically begged me to shoot him." Matrix commented. "Begged me!" 

"I am confused." Phong said. "When did the business with Kit and Mr. Packard hating deleted guardians that ran off with Bob's mother?" 

Everyone in the room stopped their activities. 

"Where'd you hear a strange rumor like that?" Enzo asked, incredulously. 

AndrAIa shook her head, while Phong stood pondering where he had gotten his information. "Start from the beginning please." Andri insisted. 

"We went over to that low down, sneaky snake's hotel room..." Mouse started. 

"I take it you mean Mr. Packard." AndrAIa filled in. 

"Right. So we went over there..." 

"Just to talk, mind you." Enzo piped up. "That's all, nothing else. So whatever he says..." 

"It's totally blown out of proportion." Matrix finished. 

"Yeah." AndrAIa said. "Anyway..." 

"Anyway, we go over to see that slithering slime Packard, right?" 

"That part we got, Mouse." The game sprite replied, nodding her head. 

"So, he started saying how he hates guardians and stuff, yeah?" Matrix said, taking over the story. "Then, out of nowhere..." 

"After he gives this huge long speech about how guardians can't be trusted..." Enzo interrupted. 

"He says he's taking Kit away from here." Mouse finished. 

"Wow." Specky said in awe. 

"I know." Enzo cried. 

"That was really good." the little binome said. "It was very precise and organized. You three should do a show like that." 

AndrAIa looked at the binome. "Specky..." The binome looked down at the floor. Looking back up at the three sprites before her, AndrAIa asked, "Are you sure about this? He could've just said it out of anger or something." 

"I think he's really serious, Dre." Enzo said. 

"And if that's true, we've gotta tell Bob." Matrix replied. 

"Tell Bob what?" 

The group turned to see Dot walking in the room, heading towards her office when she heard her's husband's name mentioned. Everyone looked at each other, then at Dot, not really wanting to tell her the news they thought she should hear. 

"Funny joke we heard." Enzo spoke, smiling at his sister. 

"We thought he'd appreciate it." Matrix replied. 

"That's very thoughtful, guys." Dot said, continuing her walk to her office. "He needs to have some laughter around, I mean with things so confusing right now. He's been in a nasty funk. A joke would do him good." 

The group waited until Dot had entered her office before they started up their conversation again. "Is there a reason why Dot should not hear this news?" Phong asked. 

"It's kinda between Bob and his dad, Phong." Matrix said. 

"And you guys got involved because...?" AndrAIa asked. 

"Don't start, Dre." Mouse said, catching on. "Now I'll admit I kinda got y'all involved in this, but from now on, stay out." 

"But Mouse..." Enzo protested, but was quickly silenced by the hacker. 

"No buts, Enzo." she said. "We've over stepped our bounds, which was something I didn't want to do. From now on, we leave this thing to Bob and his Daddy. The last thing we need is to interfere." 

"I am afraid your recent actions may change that, Mouse." Phong replied, sighing. 

* * * 

Kit zipped along his home system, a long second of school behind him. He hadn't waited for Sabrina, which was customary and for the first time, he didn't want to go back to the Diner either. So he just zipped around, thinking about certain things that were bugging his processor. He hovered over Sector 31, just above a little 'hotel' that stood there. Gathering his courage, the boy steered his board towards it and landed on the ground. 

Stepping off the board, he approached the doors and wnt inside. Kit had never been this deep inside anything in Sector 31, save for Al's and even that was with an adult. He began to walk up to the counter to speak to the manager when he heard his name being called. Turning, he saw the very sprite he came to see. Packard was surprised to see his grandson standing in the little lobby of his rooming house. "I'm very surprised to see you here, Christopher." he said, looking down at the boy. 

"I just came from school and I guess...I guess I needed to talk to you." 

Packard laughed a little. "A boy after my own heart." he said. "Straight to the point. Come on. Let's head to my room." 

The walk back to the small room the blue sprite occupied was quiet until they entered and Packard closed the door. "So, you wanted to talk to me." he said, eyeing the boy. "Do your parents know you're here?" 

"No." Kit replied, looking at the sprite. "And I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention it to them. I actually came on a more personable matter." 

"Oh?" 

"I want to know why everyone's so mad at you." the boy said. "Every time I mention your name, my family goes postal. What did you do that was so bad?" 

"You want the truth?" he asked. 

"I'd appreciate it." 

"All right." Packard said, taking a seat on the bed. "First of all, it wasn't me that did anything. It was your father. And to some extent, your uncles as well." 

"Okay." Kit replied. "What they do?" 

"They murdered your grandmother." 

Kit made a small flinch at the statement, but none the less, continued to be adult about it. "How?" he asked. 

"When your father was a small boy, he fell and scrapped his knee. Meri...Meredith was her name...she kissed it and made it better, like only she could." Packard stopped for a nano, reliving those wonderful moments. "Anyway, soon after, she got very very ill and deleted shortly afterwards. It was hours before I knew what had really happened. You see, Christopher, my wife worked in the research lab of the Guardian Academy. She had been sick as a little girl and as a result, she couldn't come into contact with certain chemicals. Well, there was a mix up and she deleted. The whole Academy covered up the incident." 

Kit mulled this over for a bit. 

"So you see, Christopher," Packard continued. "The guardians deleted her. Your father and uncles are just as responsible as the Academy was so long ago." 

The two were silent, Kit thinking about what he had heard and Packard watching and waiting. Finally, he said, "You know, Kit, I know you better than anyone here. We're a lot alike, you and me. We're thinkers, not fighters. You wouldn't make a very good guardian." 

"I don't intend on being on." Kit replied. 

Packard looked at him, surprised, but a small smile coming to his lips. "You have other plans?" he asked. 

"I like sciene a lot." Kit whispered. "My other grandparents, on Mom's side, they were scientists." 

"Really?" 

"Yeah. They kinda..." Kit stopped, realizing he was about to give out information he probably shouldn't. 

"They kinda what?" Packard asked. 

"Well...I'm not really supposed to say, but..." Kit thought about and figured the sprite was family... "They sorta blew up the sister city to Mainframe." 

_What a fine kettle of nulls,_ Packard thought, trying to appear sympathetic to the child, all the while piecing things together in his head. "Is that why there's no other sprites in this system?" he asked. Kit nodded. 

"They didn't mean to do it!" he exclaimed. "Their experiment just got out of hand and well..." 

"What were they working on?" the blue sprite asked. 

"They were trying to find a cure for nullification." Kit replied. "Some really heavy stuff, if you think about it, but their hearts were in the right place. Like I said, it just got out of control." 

"I'm sure." Packard nodded, feining compassion. "So you want to go into the business of destroying things?" 

"Yeah...I mean no! I mean..." KIt stopped and thought about it. "I wouldn't be destroying anything. I don't think..." 

"Listen to me, son," Packard replied, gripping the boy by the shoulders. "Scientist try and all, but they always end up taking very big chances and very big risks, like your mother's parents. Blowing up a system is just...all those lives lost, just for a silly notion..." 

"It's not silly!" Kit cried, jerking away from the sprite. "It could work one second. There could be a cure...." 

"And what if there isn't?" Packard asked. "Christopher, you can't go around saying "maybe" all the time. Scientist and labs can work and work all they want to on a cure and never find one. Is that what you want? Wasting your life away? And think of the guardians. What have they ever done?" 

"What're you talking about?" Kit asked. "Guardians are the best defense we have for defeating games and viruses. If it wasn't for my Dad and uncles, we weren't even be here talking!" 

"But what about the sacrifices?" asked Packard. "Surely there were some." 

"Well..." Kit started. 

"Think carefully." 

"If Mouse hadn't trusted Turbo, we wouldn't have been opened to the Net..." 

"Go on." 

"And if Dad hadn't trusted Megadork and Hex, he wouldn't have gotten shot into the Web..." 

"What else?" 

"Well, if that hadn't happened, Uncle Matrix wouldn't have been the only guardian..." 

"And?" 

"...he wouldn't have lost that game..." 

"And?" 

"...he, Frisket, and AndrAIa wouldn't have been lost in the games...but..." 

"Yes?" Packard asked. 

"But if they hadn't been lost, they wouldn't have found Dad and brought him home and he and Mom would've gotten married and had me and the twins and then you wouldn't have any grandchildren and..." 

"Yes, but Christopher," Packard said, soothingly. "If Robert hadn't trusted Mouse, you wouldn't have gone through all that. And if Mouse hadn't trusted Turbo, who is a guardian, things would've been fine here. And who knows! If Robert had stayed with me in the Super Computer, he might have met your mother. Or not. You still would've been born." 

"Yeah, but I might have been Christina." Kit muttered. 

"It doesn't matter." Packard replied. "Things would've still worked out, much better than they have. Tell me, have you been through happy times?" 

"Of course!" 

"More times than bad?" 

"Yes!" Kit said. "Well...so the bad times sometimes outnumber the good. Sometimes." 

"I don't think you want to be a scientist at all." the blue sprite replied. 

"I don't?" Kit asked. 

Packard shook his head. "Learning about your other grandparents made you_ think _about it, but it's not what you want." 

"Well...I'm not sure about it." Kit mumbled. "I'm still undecided..." looking at his grandfather, he asked, "What do _you_ think I want?" 

"I think you want to explore those options, especially along business lines." Packard smiled. "I bet you're a wonderful businessman." 

"Mom has said I have a head for business, kinda like her." Packard shook his head again. 

"Not from her." he said. "From me." Pulling the boy closer, he said, "Come with me when I leave, Christopher. You can't possibly be getting a solid education here. You need to be around other little sprites your age. Upstanding sprites, not like the ones here." 

"Sabrina is a bit of a hothead." Kit replied. "As are Enzo, Matrix, and Mouse." 

"Exactly." Packard said. "You know, Melissa was always getting into trouble when she and Robert were younger. Always showing him the wrong side of the law, so to speak. I'm trying to stop her from doing that to you as well." 

Kit stood and thought about his future. It was true, he wasn't learning all that much here in Mainframe, but his family was here. But then again, Sabrina could be a bad influence sometimes, always getting into trouble. And Mouse had been teaching both children hacking skills, which was against the law period. Packard did have a slight point, science could be deadly, even if it was meant to bring life. If his grandparents could destroy an entire system, what was to say he wouldn't do the exact same thing? He hadn't even discussed the idea with both parents and the rest of his family. They probably wouldn't be pleased... 

"When do we leave?" 

  


**With the arrival of Robert Packard, things in Mainframe heated up. Now with his departure, things are about to get down right sizzling. You've reached the final chapter of the arc. Things come to a head. Will our heroes be able to float above the water?**

**Arc 4 - Chapter 10 - The Final Confrontation**

Things were slightly tense for the rest of the second in Mainframe. Bob was no where to be found and the sprites in the Principal Office weren't saying anything to their leaders about what they had learned from Packard. Kit had left the small hotel in Sector 31, a plan in his head and a twinge of guilt in his heart. Sabrina had been worried about her cousin since he had told her Packard was his grandfather. Yes, she was still a little angered over their recent battle, but she was more worried than anything. Somehow that blue sprite was filling Kit's head with very wrong ideas. 

Packard had already started packing, smiling to himself on the way he handled his grandson. He knew he had said things that had obviously been designed to steer Kit over to his side, but he had meant what he had said. He was very worried for the boy. Everywhere he looked, all he saw were bad influences leading the boy towards a horrible life decision of being a scientist or worse. 

A guardian. 

That was the last thing he wanted for his grandson. They had taken his wife away, his son, he'd be damned if they took his grandson as well. Placing shirts and sorts into his suitcase, he came across a picture of his beloved Meredith. It was taken shortly after they had gotten married. User, she was so beautiful. She was smiling, at him no doubt, as he took the picture. Every time he saw anything that reminded him of her, he'd come close to crumbling. 

"Oh Meri," he said, tracing the outline of her face. "Things have been so hard since you left. I know you're somewhere, looking down. I hope so. I'm doing this for us, for you." 

Sighing again, he placed the picture under his shirts and closed the suitcase. 

* * * __

_The colors were vibrant, brilliant, sparkling. Blues and purples and white and green...it was like the scene on the Web, but that wasn't the place these sprites inhabited. It was another place, a higher place. A place where those that have departed come to watch over their families and friends, hopefully guiding them down a better path, helping them see the error of their ways._

_This was where Meredith Lan had come.___

_After deleting that faithful second, she had come to this...well, she wasn't sure if it was just a place or possibly another system that no one knew about. She just knew it was friendly here and she liked it. She had been worried and saddened at knowing she'd be leaving her young family behind, but the other sprites here had made her feel welcomed and had helped her in her grief for leaving.___

_Since that time, she had been watching the success of her family and was deeply troubled by what she had seen. She had seen the big occurrences in their lives: the fight at the Guardian Academy, the hasty departure, the broken hearted young cadet that sat on the floor, crying. She had seen it all. She had seen her husband go from system to system, finally marrying a woman ~who she thought was not at all worthy of his love~ just to have her run off and divorce him.___

_She had also seen her son's rise. She was so proud of him. When she had learned he had become a guardian, she was very worried. There were a lot of guardians in this place. A lot. Most being deleted without the pain of being nullified, some just deleting by way of a virus. She had heard the guardian stories and they only increased her fear for her son. But she watched as he become a decorated and highly respected full fledged, mending and defending guardian. She had seen ~or perhaps maybe guided~ his accidental arrival in Mainframe and his meeting with a young Dot Matrix. She liked Dot._

_She was so much like her father.___

_Meredith actually had the pleasure of meeting the famed Doctors James and Patricia Matrix. They too had been keeping an eye on their two children. The three enjoyed the beginnings of the romance that seemed to spark whenever Bob and Dot were around each other and of course were very excited when they ended up becoming in laws. But now, each were very concerned, none so more than Meredith._

_"I don't understand it." Meri replied, watching as her husband packed the little belongings he owned. "It's like he's completely changed. This isn't the Robert Lan I married."_

_"Perhaps he's just..." Patricia trailed off, looking at her husband for some support._

_"Didn't you say he's been like this since you came here?" James asked._

_"I just don't understand." Meri said again, shaking her head. "How could he believe Bobby had something to do with my death? And why in the Net would he think the guardians are all responsible?"_

_"Sometimes sprites react differently to the passing of a loved one." a voice replied._

_Simon, a small Phong-like sprite came over to them, placing a hand on Meredith's shoulders for comfort. The wise little sprite had been there for what seemed like days to the other sprites. James felt he had been related to Phong somehow, but couldn't place the connection. He seemed to be the man in charge of their current home. "So much time, so much hate." he continued. "It is like the eldest Matrix boy."_

_James and Patricia shot him a look._

_Simon laughed, a small but powerful laugh. "I do not mean any ill means in my statement." he chuckled. "Just that when your eldest son returned from the games, he was a different sprite than that of his brother. It took the patience and love of his friends and family in order to bring him back to the Enzo you initialized, yes?"_

_"But Simon, now he's thinking about taking Kit away from Mainframe." Meri said. "I can't allow him to do that. Kit's fine right where he is. Robbie shouldn't be trying to tell him what he should be." Lowering her head, she whispered, "That's how he got Bobby to turn against him."_

_"Aw Meri, don't worry." James said, sympathetically. "Kit's a good boy, a bright kid. If anyone's going to figure this thing out, it'll be him."_

_"I just feel like that things are coming to a big explosion."_

_"You are right, my daughter." Simon replied, walking over to their vidwindow.___

_He switched the scene to where Bob was, slowly heading towards the small hotel where his father was staying. Meanwhile, Packard was just leaving, about to walk to the Principal Office where he would take his grandson away from all the pain and suffering. "Your son and your husband are about to engage in a battle." Simon continued. He bowed his head, not bothering to look at Meredith. "I am afraid there will be no winners."_

* * * 

Kit had arranged to meet his grandfather in one of the Principal Office hallways, as not to be detected by anyone. He felt weird and sneaky, but in the end, he told himself this was for the best. He wasn't sure about science and perhaps business was where he needed to be. He knew his family wouldn't like the idea of him going to a science school. His grandfather was right. 

They could be bad influences. 

* * * 

Matrix and Enzo fiddled around in the weapons room, needing to find something to do in order to settle their already hyped and bored processors. The two weren't really doing anything as such, just tinkering with some of the guns the room held, but each had the same thing on their mind. 

"You think we should at least tell Dot?" Enzo asked, turning to his brother. 

"I'm not sure anymore." he replied, shaking his head. "I don't like this whole thing anyway. The second that old man got here, things have been going downhill like Hex on a ski slope." 

"I didn't know Hex could ski." 

"That's not the point." Matrix growled. "The point, is I don't like it. I don't like knowing vital information and not telling the people who should know. I don't like just sitting on our ASCIIs and not doing something to stop it and above all, I hate not being able to put that sprite in his place." 

"Dude, you gotta look at it from Bob's point of view." Enzo reasoned. "He did say he didn't want us involved and he'd handle it." 

"Well, he isn't." 

"I know that." the young guardian replied. "But still. Mouse is right. This is Bob's dad, not ours. We already had our allotted battle with inner demons. I hate to say it, but it's Bob's turn now." 

"Some help you are." Matrix murmured. 

"Hey, you want advice, go to Phong." his brother retorted. "But I know what you're saying. This waiting thing is driving me nuts. Packard's leaving tomorrow and taking Kit with him. Willingly or against it...that's what we need to know." 

"Why did you say willingly?" asked the renegade. 

"You gotta admit, Kit's been pretty keen on the guy. He might go." 

"You're joking, right?" 

"Hey bro, I'm just calling it as I see it." 

"Well, you need glasses." Matrix retorted. "There's no way Kit's leaving here with that sprite." Removing Gun and checking the clip, he said, "We'll make sure of that." 

"I thought we fixed that 'shot first, ask later' mentality of yours." Enzo joked. 

"Curbed, that's all." 

The boys were silent for a bit, each wondering what the other had said. "You really think Kit would actually leave Mainframe?" Enzo asked. "I mean with Packard." 

Matrix sighed. "Judging as of lately," he said. "I'd say it would a good bet." 

"Crash." Enzo whispered. "We have got to tell Bob and Dot. It wouldn't be right if we just let it happen like this." 

"You said this was Bob's fight." Matrix reminded him. "Remember?" 

"Yeah, well...Bob was there for us last time. We can't leave him hanging like this." 

"All right." the large sprite replied, nodding his head. "But first things first. We gotta make sure Kit isn't anywhere near where Packard can find him. Hide him out or something. It shouldn't be a problem for you, Zo. Next, I think we'll tell Bob and Dot together. At least that way, if they have to explode, they'll be together and it makes keeping them calm easier on us." 

"Break it gently, huh, Enzo?" the guardian replied, patting his brother's shoulders. "You have a way of being gruff." 

"I'll show you gruff..." Matrix started, but was stopped by Enzo's laugh. 

"Tell the bad news first, beat my ASCII later. Come on." 

* * * 

Mouse stood atop of the Principal Office getting a bird's eye view of the system. She had really become attached to this place since arriving via Megabyte's messenger. She never thought she'd be here after all this time. She had met Ray here, had gone to Dot and Bob's wedding here, seen them have not one, not two, but three children...she had done a lot for this system and it for her. Though she never felt right about leaving, it was about that time. 

She and Ray were heading out. 

The two always got antsy when things started to settle down. They had planned on leaving earlier, but the thing with the Matrixes and the bugs held them here. They were going to leave after that, but then that Packard had to come waltzing in the system. Mouse made a face at the mere thought of the sprite. She had never really liked him much. Hated him when she became a teenager. Now she just loathed the guy. He wasn't the kind of parent Bob should've had and the fact that he wanted to "re-do" what he had messed up with Kit sent a disturbing signal through out the hacker's body. 

_Speak of the null_, she thought. 

She could see him plainly, walking towards the doors of the Principal Office. Slightly further away, was Bob, walking slowly behind the sprite in question. _This ought to be interesting_, she mused, quickly heading back downstairs. Mouse knew there'd be no way he could enter without the codes, so she would just stand in front of the doors until Bob got there. But when she reached the first floor... 

No one was there. 

She was looking around when Bob came up next to her. "You didn't happen to see...?" he started, helping Mouse in her search. 

"Now, he was right outside." the hacker mumbled. "There's no way he could've..." She stopped herself when a terrible feeling hit her insides. 

"Mouse?" 

"Bob..." she said, her face hardened in sadness and anger. "Do you think Kit would be able to let his granddaddy in here?" 

"He could." Bob said, slowly, looking at Mouse for some sort of explanation. Seeing the look she gave him, he quickly turned and went down the hall. 

* * * 

Kit paced in the hallway, anxiously awaiting the arrival of his grandfather. Since their talk the other second, Kit had been thinking long and hard about what he would do. Yes, he wanted to travel, see other systems, but this was his _home_. It always had been and it always would. His family was here and something was starting to eat away at the boy for not saying anything to anyone about leaving. 

As he paced, he tried thinking of reasons to leave. Yes, they had just gone through a vicious battle with big, mean, deadly bugs. And before that, they had once again battled the evil virus Megabyte. And before that, they had fought off the forces of Daemon and her guardian henchmen. And even before that, before Kit had been born, even thought of, they had fought against Megabyte and Hexadecimal. His father had fought his way back home from the Web. His aunt and uncle had survived the games. And of course, before all of that was the disaster that claimed the lives of his other grandparents, the other sprites, and the Twin City. 

But his reasons to stay were also valid. 

His family was here. Sure, he and Sabrina were the only little sprites in the system, but they were happy. It wasn't like there weren't sprites here in Mainframe. Besides, Kit knew he'd be going to school, it didn't matter where, so he would end up meeting other sprites from other places and systems. He didn't even know this sprite he was planning to run away with. Robert Packard had just shot out of the Net and landed in their so far quiet system, wanting to take his grandson away from the things he deemed were too influential on him. Kit had to think quickly. Packard would be there any nano. 

He needed to make a decision. 

"Hello Christopher." 

Kit spun around to meet the voice, the same voice he had heard that first second of Packard's arrival. The boy even had the same feeling as when he had first met his grandfather face to face. Feelings of suspicion, awkwardness, and above all fear. He knew about the first two, but he couldn't explain why he felt the third, but he always had that slight sense in the back of his processor that his grandfather could somehow bring trouble where ever he went. 

"Hello Sir." he replied. 

"Are we ready to go?" Packard asked. 

"Actually, sir, that's what I wanted to see you. You see..." Kit stopped when he noticed his uncles from the corner of his eye._ That's all I need,_ he thought to himself. "As I was saying..." 

"Nice of you to call a family meeting, Christopher." Bob said, sarcastically, blocking Kit's view of his uncles, who now stood listening to the proceeding conversation. "You mind telling me what this is about?" 

"He's coming with_ me,_ Robert." Packard said in no uncertain terms. "And this time, I will_ not _hear any argument from you." 

"Sir," Kit piped up. "I think we need to discuss this a bit..." 

"What is there to discuss?" Packard huffed. "You are coming with me, Christopher. There is no say in the matter." 

"Now, wait just a nano..." Kit began, but was stopped by his father. 

"I've really had just about enough of you." Bob replied, his tone even and calm in its register. "You know, Dad, I was really hoping that the hours had changed us, changed you. I had hoped you were here by a happy mistake, something that would allow us to be father and son again. I can't believe how very wrong I was." 

"You want to talk about wrong?" Packard asked, his eyes narrowing. "You of all people should talk." 

"I didn't murder Mom!" Bob exclaimed. "Truth is, I never had anything to do with her deleting." 

"The guardians did." 

"Not even them, Dad." the guardian countered. "I don't even know happened. My own mother and I have no idea what happened to her. Or you for that matter." 

"You destroyed my life." 

"How?" Bob asked. "What have I ever done that caused you to be the way you are." Bob looked at his father, his own colored eyes reflecting in the mirrored brown. "Why didn't you love me, Dad?" he asked, softly. "Why couldn't you be a real father?" 

"Like you are." Packard retorted sarcastically. "Why don't I love you, son? Very simple. I never wanted you. If your mother hadn't gotten pregnant and wanted you so bad, we wouldn't have had children. I didn't want them. But Meredith...Meri loved children, wanted lots and lots of them. If I didn't love her so much...but all that's gone now. At least with Christopher here, I have an equal. Someone who understands me. Not the delinquent you've become. You should be talking about real fatherhood." 

Matrix and Enzo were about to advance on the unsuspecting blue sprite, hearing enough of his damning words to his son, when they were held back by purple hands. "Let Bob handle this, boys." Mouse whispered, keeping a strong hand on each of their arms. "I promise, if he makes one move against the two of them, he'll never move again. We'll make sure of that, right?" The brothers nodded in comprehension and continued listening to the conversation. 

"What do you mean?" Bob asked, incredulously. "I'm a wonderful father..." 

"Sure you are!" Packard laughed. "Letting your son into games. In case you forgot, guardian, games are dangerous business. No mere little boy should be entering them." 

"Mere little boy?!" Kit repeated, his own anger welling up. "In case you forgot, I darn well saved your ASCII in that game more than once!" 

Packard smirked at his grandson. "He's definitely yours, Robert." he said. "Back talk and everything. And such language. I now see how a guardian's child can turn out, if any evidence from my meeting with your niece. Yes, what a nice little family you have here, Robert. You're a friend to a wanted hacker, you're the brother in law to two dangerous vile guardians, you're the uncle of an unruly juvenile delinquent in training, your son's turning out to be just as bad as you were, and best of all, you're married to the Command.Com." The blue sprite shook his head. "Isn't there some sort of law that forbids a guardian from getting involved with the leader of a system?" he asked. "Not that you would care of course." 

"No." Bob replied, staring deep in the sprite's eyes. "I wouldn't mind at all. And just so you know, old man, I like it here. Becoming a guardian was the best thing I've ever done in my life. I don't know where I'd be if I hadn't. Probably being stuck as your bitter replacement in the Net. I'd rather delete first than to turn into someone like you." 

Packard smirked again, this time shaking his head slightly at his son. "I really don't know what Meri saw in you." he said. "You're insolent, irresponsible...the list is just too long." The blue sprite stole a look towards the brothers Matrix and Mouse, who stood glaring evilly at him. "I wouldn't be surprised if you raised those two hoodlums there yourself." he said. 

"Jealous because I didn't make the same mistakes you did, old man?" the guardian retorted. The two locked into a dangerous stare down, making it virtually silent in the hallway. 

"I suggest you take your leave, Mr. Packard." Kit replied. "And it'll be a very cold second in the deep dark Web before you ever step foot in this system again. Is that clear?" 

Packard looked at the boy in slight shock. He leaned forward, his fist balled and ready to strike. "How dare you try and..." 

A click from beside him stopped his sentence. 

"I believe the boy asked you a question." Matrix growled, Gun placed squarely against Packard's temple. 

"Fine." the blue sprite sighed. "Rot in hell, all of you. I don't care. You're right. I've worn out my unwelcome. I leave tomorrow morning." With that, Packard began to walk off. 

"Just like that second in the Academy, Packard." Bob called to him, stopping Packard in his steps. "You don't know me, I don't know you. You never had a son." 

"Maybe in another twenty hours or so, you'll be more receptive." Packard replied, coldly. 

"Perhaps maybe never." Kit responded. 

The blue sprite left in a huff, leaving the five sprites looking after him. 

* * * 

Kit sat at the Diner bar, trying to do his homework. It was the lunch crowd on the cycle's end and the boy just couldn't concentrate. Seated next to him was Sabrina, who was telling a rather racy joke to a five numeral. Mouse and Ray were seated cozily in a booth by themselves, obviously patching up their shaking cycle of fighting. In the booth by the window, AndrAIa, Matrix, and Enzo sat having the lunch special. The game sprite had just asked the brothers a question, to which they both responded with the same answer. 

"Stop that!" cried Matrix. 

"Stop what?" Enzo asked, innocently. 

"Stop repeating every word I say." 

"I'm not repeating every word you say." 

"Yes, you are." 

"Am not." 

"You are." 

"I am not." 

"Boys!" 

Kit shook his head, a small laugh escaping his lips. It was nice to have things calm and collected once again. Robert Packard had left yesterday and the tension that had been evident seemed to be lifted from the sprites he was around. Kit still couldn't believe the blue sprite was even related to him, to his father even! They were so completely different. It wasn't like his parents, who were like rock and paper. Their differences worked well with each of them. But with Bob and his father... 

Kit sighed. The scene he was now in seemed eerily reminiscent of the second of Packard's arrival. Thinking about his grandparents had caused the blue sprite to suddenly reemerge from a self imposed exile. In hindsight, Kit felt he made the right decision in not going with his grandfather. After their confrontation in the Principal Office hallway, he had seen Packard in another light, one that his father must have seen countless times as a child. 

Kit shook his head. He just couldn't believe it. 

He wished he had known his grandmother. That's obviously where his father got his personality. It certainly wasn't from his father, that was for sure. Kit wondered what she was like. He'd have to ask about that...A vidwindow interrupted the boy's thoughts and he looked up to see his father's smiling face staring back at him. 

"Hi Kit." he said, happily. "What's processing?" 

"Hi Dad." replied the boy. "Nothing much. I had been doing my homework, but...well, let's just say I got caught sprite gazing." Bob laughed at the comment. "Anything you need?" 

"Yeah, actually." his father said, his face suddenly becoming serious. "Your mother and I want to talk to you. Come see us in her office. Pronto, okay Kiddo?" 

Kit gulped. What had he done this time? "Sure." he said. "I'll be right over." Bob closed the connection, leaving a confused Kit sitting at the bar. 

"Boy, are you in trouble!" Sabrina giggled, causing Kit to roll his eyes. 

"I don't get into trouble." he replied, grabbing his stuff and jumping off the barstool. "That's you, remember?" 

"Oh yeah." Sabrina sighed, nodding her head. She watched as Kit went out the door, hopped on his zipboard and headed towards the Principal Office. She would've thought about what he had done if it wasn't for the annoying argument coming from one of the booths. 

"I do not repeat anything you say!" 

"Yes, you do!" 

"I do not!" 

"Do!" 

"Not!" 

"Do!" 

"Not!" 

"Guys!" 

* * * 

Kit walked in to the Principal Office and headed for his mother's office. He knew exactly why they wanted to see him. They were upset about his wanting to go with Packard. Even he was ashamed of it. He still couldn't believe he had wanted to leave in the first place. He loved Mainframe. He would do anything for it, just like his parents and family members. His grandfather just had a brilliant way of confusing the boy. 

The lad walked into the command room, saying hi to the binomes and stopping to share a greeting with Phong, who told him his parents were waiting. Being polite, he first knocked on the door and heard his mother's "Come in." Opening the door slowly, he poked his head. 

"You...uh...guys wanted to see me?" 

"Come in, Christopher." replied Dot, removing her glasses and setting them on her desk. 

Kit gulped slightly, walking into the office and closing the door. He knew he was in trouble right then. They only called him by his full name when he had done something. He walked over to a chair placed in front of his mother's desk ~placed purposely, no doubt~ and took a seat. 

"Thanks for coming over so quick." Bob said, giving the boy a smile. "Sorry we had to take you away from your homework, but this was kinda important, like I said." 

"Hey, no big file." Kit laughed nervously. "You guys wanted to see me, so...here I am." 

"Your father and I have been talking recently about what to do with you." Dot replied in a most authoritative tone. Kit gulped again. "Recent events have lead your father and I to talking about...well...maybe sending you away." 

Kit's jaw dropped. He knew they'd be a little sore about his behavior, but he didn't think they would actually send him away! "You're kidding, right?" he asked, fretfully. "I mean, I know I've been a null recently, a really big one, the size of the Tor even, but I think you guys are going way too far in the matter." 

"Kit, what're you..." Bob started to ask, only to be interrupted by Dot. 

"Well, Christopher, if you think you're not ready for this..." 

"Of course I'm not ready for this!" the youngster cried. "If anything, it was Packard's fault. He managed to twist and turn certain facts to make me turn to his side. Of course, I take full responsibility for the actions I've made in this cycle, but I really don't think sending me is the best answer." 

"Kit, we're not sending you away." Dot laughed, finally understanding the boy's fear. "We've been talking about you going to the Science Institute one second." 

"I mean, yes I accept my part of the whole thing, but...what...what did you say?" the lad asked, not sure he had heard that sentence right. 

"Your mother told me you two had talked about the possibility of you going into science." Bob said. "If that's what you think you wanna do, we'll certainly make sure you get to have that dream." 

Kit was completely floored. He hadn't been expecting his parents to be talking about something even_ he _was doubtful about it. He thought for sure they had brought him in here to rip him another output, but they hadn't and didn't appear to want to. "What...what're you guys saying?" he asked, his mouth dry with confusion. 

"We're saying, that if you want to go to school there in another hour or so, you can." replied Dot. 

Kit looked between both parents, reading their expressions carefully. "You're really serious, aren't you?" he asked, still suspicious. 

"Yes, we're really serious." his father said, laughing along with Dot. 

"So?" Dot asked. ""What's the verdict?" 

Kit just sat, his mouth open, his eyes wide. He finally closed everything and said, "I love you guys so much right now." 

"Apparently." Bob joked. "Look, we'll talk more when we get home, okay?" Kit merely nodded. 

"Check on your siblings before you go, Christopher." Dot replied, watching as the boy got up from his seat, dazed, but happy. 

* * * 

Robert Packard sat at the back of a transport ship heading out to the system of Loven. He was in a foul mood to say the least. He hadn't come to Mainframe with a purpose, but he hadn't left with anything either. Actually, that wasn't true. He had left with a system who wouldn't let him enter it for as long as he was processing. It annoyed him to the fullest that he hadn't be able to save his grandson from the life he was now leading. 

The blue sprite leaned back in his seat and sighed. He had messed up again somehow. Somewhere deep in his heart, he knew this. He knew he had now completely alienated his only child, as well as his grandchildren and in laws. That small place now held a bucket of guilt within it. The same small place that had search through the whole heart for some scrap of love. The feeling he should have felt for his son. Just when it looked to be found, Packard shut it up, memories of his wife's deletion echoing in his head. No matter what happened, the boy and the guardians would always be responsible for her death. 

Always. 

As long as he remembered that, he could never...no,_ would _never...forgive his son for his atrocities in life. As he sat there, a new hatred began. Meredith had been in research at the Academy and it had been those same lab technicians that had killed her. His grandson was going into science. He would become like them. He would be a murderer. Just like his grandparents and father before him. Packard didn't like it. A calm, placent life of murder was going throughout his family. Then a thought struck him. 

Didn't Miss Matrix say they had twins a few minutes back? 

* * * 

"So we're never gonna see that blue meanie again, right?" 

The familiar group of sprites sat in the Diner well past closing millis, sitting around talking in their favorite booth. "I certainly hope not." AndrAIa replied, taking a sip from her energy shake. "Talk about bringing a whole system down with you. He was almost as bad as that Cadet Daniels." 

"Nothing could be worse than him, Dre." Enzo commented sourly. 

"Well, I done hear that he's never allowed to set foot in this system again." Mouse piped up. 

"He should live so long." Matrix joked, causing laughter from the group. 

"Come on, Mate, he wasn't too bad, was he?" Ray questioned. 

Everyone just looked at him. 

"Ray, sugah," Mouse started. "Let's not go there. Besides, we've got some news of our own anyway." 

"You're getting married!" AndrAIa exclaimed hopefully. 

"No," Mouse said, grin on her face. "But we are leaving." 

"To get married?" Enzo asked. 

"No one's getting hitched, Boyo." Ray laughed. "Mouse and I are taking our leave." 

Groans of disappointment went out through the Diner, but were soon stopped by Mouse's raised hand. "Now come on, darlins." she said. "It wasn't like y'all didn't know we'd have to be leavin'." The group was quiet for the time being. 

"At least tell Bob and Dot." AndrAIa insisted. "They'll offline if you don't." 

"Yeah." Sabrina piped up. "Aunt Dot'll rip you up and down if you don't say good bye. Especially after_ this _episode of Mainframe Misery." 

"In good time." Mouse replied. "In good time. Now, I think it's about time we git. Cecil's been circlin' us like a buzzard over a steak dinner." 

The group began getting up and leaving, Matrix locking the door as he went out. The six sprites then said their goodbyes to Ray and Mouse and went their separate ways; Matrix, AndrAIa, and Sabrina heading to their house, Enzo to his apartment, and Mouse and Ray heading to Ship in order to prepare for departure. 

* * * 

Bob turned off the TV and yawned. He had gotten caught in some weird Mike the TV special and had sat on the couch and watched it. Everyone else had gone to bed, leaving him alone in the living room. He stretched before standing, checking to make sure everything was away for the night. He made his way down the hall, checking on the twins in their bedroom. 

He looked down at the growing son and daughter he had. They were getting so big now, it was incredible. Nikki's bug was coming to an end and the baby was sleeping peacefully in her crib. Next to her was Jet, sucking his thumb in slumber and also looking peaceful. Bob loved this time. Not only because it was quiet, but he enjoyed looking at his children, wondering what they would be when they got older. Only time would tell with the twins. 

He left their room and headed straight for Kit's, knowing the boy was probably up playing video games on the organizer Dot had given him. Sure enough, the guardian could see a light coming from underneath the boy's door. As he started to approach, a vidwindow stopped him, causing a lopsided grin to appear. 

"You seem to be making a skip on us, Mouse." he said, addressing the hacker on the other side. 

"Sorry, blue boy." Mouse replied, smiling herself. "But you know when things get stale..." 

"The Mouse starts to bail." he recited. 

"You've been hanging around me too much, guardian." she retorted. Her features got serious suddenly. "Bob, about your daddy being here, I..." 

"No need." he interrupted. "Things just weren't meant to be, I guess." 

"I spared his life because of you and you only." 

"I know." he said. "Thank you." 

"You suppose you'll ever see him again?" 

"I doubt it." Bob sighed. "Any miraculous dream I had about him coming back and changing and...well, not all dreams can come true, can they?" 

"I'm afraid not, suge." she replied, sympathetically. 

"Well, enough about that." Bob said, trying to turn things into a much happier good bye. "Where're you two headed?" 

"You know us, Bob." the hacker drawled. "A little of this, a little of that. No tellin' really, until we find some place we like. Don't go forgettin' about us though. We'll be back before you say good ole fashioned mama's diskettes." 

"That's a pretty long sentence, so I'm sure we'll be seeing you again." Bob joked. "You are planning to say good bye to Dot, aren't you?" 

"Already have, sugah." she replied. "I had it on good authority that if I didn't, I'd be hacking through another output." Bob laughed. "Well, Bob, it's been nice." 

"Yeah, it has." 

"You know, you've been my favorite guardian since you joined the Academy." Mouse said. "Not that Enzo or Matrix aren't my favs, they're a close second, but you...You're my favorite blue boy." 

"And you, my favorite hacker." Bob joked, causing Mouse to laugh loudly. 

"Go to bed, darlin'." she replied with laughter. "I'm sure that wife of yours is waiting for you." 

"Until next time, Mouse?" 

"You can count on it, Sugah." 

With that, the window closed and Bob continued on his trek to his eldest son's bedroom. He knocked on the door and slid it open, to find Kit sitting up in bed, looking at something on his organizer. He looked over and smiled when he saw his father. "Hey Dad." 

"Hey yourself." Bob replied, entering the room and taking a seat on the side of the bed. "I hope you realize what time it is." 

"Yes, I do and I was just going to bed." he said, shutting off his organizer. He snuggled until his covers and looked up at Bob. "Was that Mouse you were talking to?" he asked. 

"Yeah." Bob said. 

"Bri told me they were leaving tonight." the boy said. "Kinda 8-bit, huh?" 

"You're telling me." Bob empathized. "But you know Mouse and Ray. They like going out and looking for an adventure. What about you, little man? Were you planning on leaving?" 

Kit looked away, debating on telling his father what he had been doing, but from the tone, he knew his father had already known. "I had been thinking about it." he admitted. "I just wasn't sure. As for the Science Institute...dude. I can't believe you guys are serious about sending me." 

"Once again, yes, we are serious." Bob replied. "No one, and I mean no one, can deny what kind of talent you have. And I'm not talking about the light beams from your hand thing either. You're a smart boy, Bobby, and everyone of us has the faith in you that you'll go far. In whatever you do. If you think science is the thing for you, then we want to make sure you get every opportunity to do it." 

"I'm not really sure." the boy murmured. "As of yet, that is." 

"Look, don't let anything my father said get you self doubting yourself." Bob told him sternly. "Now I know being a guardian is not where you're headed, so don't get all down about me being upset. I'm not. You're my son and I want whatever's best for you. And whatever it is you want in life, that's what I want you to have." 

Kit nodded, looking out in front of him. "I do want to go to the Science Institute, Dad." he said finally. "But maybe not right this nano. I wanna do a bit more before I have to go, you know?" 

"I do know." his father replied. "You're very mature for your age, but you're still a little boy and you have to be that first. Don't worry about growing up right this cycle." 

Kit smiled, sighing in relief. It felt good to share some things with his father, especially when he had been unsure of his reaction to his decision. He now felt ready to explore a inkling that had started only a few hours earlier. And now with his parents' support, it didn't matter who didn't like the idea. His parents supported him on it. In a way, he felt proud. Proud knowing that his family felt proud. About him. And it was like he could almost feel his grandparents on his mother's side smiling down on him from where ever they resided now. That only left one question. 

"Dad, what was your mom like?" 

Bob sighed and sat more comfortably on the bed. "I wish I really knew, Kit." he said. "You know she deleted when I was really young. I don't remember a whole lot, just that she was wonderful. She used to call me Bobby when I was a baby. Never stopped until she deleted. I guess that why I call you that sometimes. Weird habit, I guess. Anyways, she was beautiful..." 

**END**


	10. Survival of the Fittest

Survival of the Fittest   
By WebMistressGina 

**Chapter 1 - Kidnapped**

It was a bright second in the Super Computer. Things were moving about as they always had, fast paced and to the point. Businesses conducted business in the tall buildings that lined the system. Sprites and binomes alike rushed to and fro from here to there. In the Science Institute, located on the west end of the system, a young sprite walked down the halls of the boy's dormitory. It was unusual to see her ~girls weren't allowed in the boy's hall, especially at this tender age~ but the sprite continued. 

She was 1.3, with tan skin and long aquamarine hair, that bounced happily against her shoulders. She was of medium height for a young, adolescent girl and she wore a white tank top and blue jean shorts. Her violet eyes danced impishly as she reached one of the doors located in the center of the hallway. Knocking loudly, Sabrina Matrix leaned against the door jam and waited for an answer. It was vacation time for the students at the Guardian Academy and it just so happened to coincide with vacation time for those attending the Science Institute. She had only lived in the system for about two minutes when a short break had come up. Her cousin had been there for at least an hour already, studying to be a scientist. 

Sabrina sometimes couldn't believe they were actually here. Her cousin had left an hour before her to attend the Science Institute, the premiere school for all budding scientists this side of the Net. It had been an honor to learn she wouldn't have to live in the Super Computer by herself as she enrolled as a first hour at the Guardian Academy. She couldn't really explain it, but she belonged there, just as her father and uncles before her had become Guardians, she would too. Just like she knew her cousin belonged here, at the Institute. And he wasn't far, just to the west of the Academy, he had been the first to show her around. They had been here before, for their uncle's graduation from the Academy, but it seemed like days to them. When they both arrived, the place seemed different. Maybe because they were on their own for the first time. They weren't in their small system anymore, they wouldn't see familiar faces of friends and family until breaks and vacations. 

Even still, it was an exciting new adventure that hopefully wouldn't cause any trouble like their others had. 

But now, Sabrina stood impatiently waiting for someone to answer her knocks. Pacing slightly, she couldn't take it anymore. Looking around for anyone coming, she quickly inspected the lock. It was standard guard against people walking into the wrong room or walking in and stealing something. It was only operational to those who lived in the room, their icons being the only things that would allow access into the room. The girl chuckled silently as she began to work. Using a nail file, she quickly undid the screws of the lock and began playing with different wires. Within a micro, she had the door opened and stepped into the empty room. 

Thank the User for hackers like The Mouse. 

Sabrina stood in the middle of the room and surveyed the surroundings. It was a medium sized room, with two beds on either side of the wall. A desk with some files stacked neatly sat by another wall. Both beds were made and the place was completely clean. "Well, at least I know he's been here." the girl muttered to herself. She couldn't see anything out of the ordinary, but her gut feeling told her something was very wrong here. Her cousin was not one to forget important meetings and times, but yet he hadn't been where he said he would be. She took a seat in a nearby chair and decided to wait. 

* * * 

He awoke with a pounding headache. 

Christopher "Kit" Lan rubbed his sore head as he tried to find a sitting position. As he opened his eyes, he inhaled a disgusting odor from all around him. Looking around, he was surrounded by dark and fog. At first he panicked, then he calmed himself, believing he was in some sort of dream. He straightened out as much as possible and began taking stock of his area. 

He was in a small cell with steel bars guarding him inside. The floor he sat on was all slimy and sticky. He quickly stood up, only to fall against the wall. His head was deleting him and the sudden movement had caused dizziness. Leaning back, his eyes adjusted to the dim lighting. He was still wearing his clothes from earlier ~a button down shirt and slacks~ but they were now dirty from dirt and probably the grim he had discovered on the floor. Looking out of his prison bars, all he could see was a gray wall in front of him. This place was totally foreign to him, he couldn't understand where he was. 

He began to panic. 

Kit started to replay everything that had happened in his morning. He had gotten up and got dressed in his room at the Science Institute. They had a break this cycle and his cousin, Sabrina, would be coming over later so they could take the ship back to their home system of Mainframe. The boy had gotten up early beforehand so he could take a walk and get some reading done in the process. After making his bed and having breakfast, he had taken his organizer ~a gift from his mother~ and had left the boy's dorm for a walk. 

It was a routine he had done since he had arrived in the Super Computer an hour ago. His dream of becoming a scientist had been realized when his parents gave him the go ahead to attend the Science Institute. It wasn't like any school in the Net. It specialized in just the sciences. Biology, chemistry, environmental, whatever science you were interested in, they had a course for you. As a first hour, Kit wasn't sure what he should do. Though he enjoyed biology and chem, inventions appealed to him as well. The Institute was a school where one could explore all the sciences and still excel in their chosen field. The only down side was it was an eight hour training ground. 

It was tough that first hour. Kit was all alone in a place he had only visited a few times. He wouldn't have any family here until Sabrina came to the Guardian Academy the next hour or if they all came to visit him. All in all, it was a scary, if not an exciting new chapter in his life. That's how he had gotten into walking and reading in the mornings. It started out as a way to familiarize himself with the large campus, as well as work out some of his leg muscles. He was 1.5 and starting to develop muscles and compile into a man. His black hair cut short, the streaks of silver shining in the sunlight, his brown eyes reading over a class assignment in his organizer, Kit began his journey around campus. The girls he passed waved and smiled, giggling when he smiled back. It still amused him that the girls here found him attractive, something the women in his life would probably agree to. 

So, as he walked his normal route, he smiled at the students he passed by, mostly sprites that were in his classes or friends he had made so far. They knew not to bother him as he studied. It paid off, of course. Kit was doing very well in the Institute, especially with it's rigorous courses they offered. But it was all in the line of a dream and Kit wanted this dream. Ever since he had learned about his grandparents on his mother's side, the yearn to go into science seemed natural after that and surprisingly, his family felt the same way. He had been worried, certainly after recent events, that they would feel uneasy about the decision, but they couldn't see him doing anything else. A smile crept to his face as he passed the same alleyway he did every second. 

And that's all he remembered. 

Kit didn't recall anything else after that except for waking up in this strange place. Feeling more steady on his feet, the teenager took a couple steps from the wall, getting his bearings and balance. The place had a horrible smell, one he couldn't really decipher. It was like nothing he had ever been around. Looking around on the floor, he noticed some scraps of food and some dried energy... 

Dried energy? 

Kit kneeled down and looked at the small pool of blue liquid that his foot nearly stepped in. He may not have seen a lot of it, but he knew energy when he saw it. A horrible thought occurred to him. That would explain the smell. The smell of deletion. His breathing grew more rapid as his processor started to work. How did he get here? More importantly, _why_ was he here? Walking cautiously to the bars, he looked out as best he could. He was rewarded with more darkness, but at least he could hear faint sounds coming from his left, much further down the hall. He also could see he wasn't the only one here. He could faintly see other bars down the hall both ways, meaning there were other prisoners in this place. Walking back to the center of the cell, Kit let out the breath he had been holding. 

He was in trouble. 

He knew it.   


**Chapter 2 - Discovery**

"He's gone!" 

AndrAIa Matrix jumped in surprise, while her husband missed the screw and rammed the screwdriver into the side of his finger. The two had been working on another pet project involving a discarded motorbike found in Mr. Pearson's Data Dump. It gave them something to do noww that the system wasn't in danger and it was relaxing in a way. At the moment, they only had one child to look after, with their daughter now attending the Academy in the Super Computer. That second was just a routine one, until the surprised vidwindow popped out of nowhere. 

"Thanks for a warning." Matrix muttered, gripping his hurt finger in his hand. 

"He's gone!" Sabrina exclaimed once again. "Ilookedeverywhere,butIcan'tfindhimanywhere!WheretheNetdidhego?Imean, why...?" 

"Sabrina!" Both parents cried. They hated when she got all excited like this. 

"First of all, calm down!" AndrAIa insisted. "Breathe. In and out." Her daughter began to calm. "Okay. Now secondly, what are you talking about?" 

"Shouldn't you be on a ship on your way here?" her father asked. 

"Well, I would be if my little passenger buddy was here!" she blurted, all the calm she had disappearing. "I came over and I've been waiting here for like...I don't even know how long, but I know it's been like days! And Kit isn't here!" 

"Sabrina..." The game sprite sighed. 

"Sorry." Sabrina took a breath and began to recount everything that she had done, including breaking into her cousin's dorm room. 

"Okay, we'll deal with the breaking and entering later." Matrix replied, looking sternly at his daughter. "First things first. Are you sure you got the time right? I mean, Kit probably went out and is coming back at any nano." 

Sabrina folded her arms across her chest and glared at her father, so much so, it reminded Matrix of the girl's mother. She was in the exact stance AndrAIa would use when she was mad at him for something. Even now as Sabrina stood there eyeing her father, Matrix was brought into memories of childhood when he had first met his wife and their life together as they traveled the games. 

"Daddy." Sabrina replied, bringing her father from his thoughts. "I assure you, I got here when I was supposed to. Right on time, if not earlier. It was Christopher who wasn't in his designated spot." 

"All right." Matrix huffed. "There's no need to get snippy." 

"Stay frosty, please?" AndrAIa begged. "Just for the next two micros." Turning to Sabrina, she asked, "Where do you think he went?" 

Sabrina just shrugged her shoulders and looked at her mother. "How would I know the answer to that?" she asked. "All I know is, I get here. He's not here. I've been here for at least two milliseconds and no Kit. And you guys know that is not like him. Not. At. All." 

Both Matrix and AndrAIa looked at each other. They knew the last statement was true. Kit was like his mother. He would never go anywhere without first telling someone where he would be and when he'd be back. They knew all too well it wasn't like Kit to have a standing appointment to meet his cousin and then not show up. "Okay." Matrix sighed. "Let's not panic. Sabrina, talk to everyone that knows him and find out if something came up. We'll...we'll see whether or not he took an earlier ship or something. I know that would never happen." he said quickly, seeing the look Sabrina gave him. "Above all, we can't let Dot or Bob know about this. Not yet anyways." 

* * * 

Enzo Matrix lay happily awake in his bed, the morning light seeping in through his bedroom window. It was going to be a good second, he just knew it. Things had been a bit shaky in the past few minutes. In the past hour and a half actually, when he thought about it. It had all started when Megabyte had come back, then they had that bug infestation problem, coupled with the reemergence of the Twin City disaster, then the thing with Bob's father coming...it had just been a random hour and Enzo was glad he could finally wake up and feel... 

Peaceful. 

The sound of the shower starting only put a bigger smile on the young guardian's face. Hearing that certainly put him in a better mood. He was contemplating if he should jump in when a vidwindow maximized to his right, his brother's worried face greeting him. "Hey bro." Enzo smiled. "How goes things?" 

"Not cool." Matrix replied, grimly. "I have to ask you something." 

"Sure." he said, with uncertainty. His brother did not look happy. And when Matrix wasn't happy... 

"Are there many places to hide in the Super Computer?" 

"Excuse me?" Enzo asked. 

"Look," Matrix said, sighing. "Without going into a lot of detail, we have a slight problem." 

"And this problem is...?" 

Matrix hesitated slightly. He wasn't sure how to answer that. Above anyone, Enzo was the closest to the young boy. He was like a younger brother to the guardian and for him to learn he was missing would not sit well with him. "Kit's missing." 

"What?" 

"Now, look, don't get excited." Matrix said, trying to keep his brother calm. "He's okay, know that." 

Enzo took a deep breath. "What happened?" 

"He didn't meet Bri at his dorm today." the renegade explained. "They're supposed to be on break, right? Well, he wasn't there." 

"That's not like him." Enzo said. 

"I know." 

"Hey Scooter, why don't you come and...oh hi, Matrix." 

A young tan woman stepped from the bathroom door, dressed only in Enzo's bathrobe. Alexandria Hewlett smiled upon seeing her boyfriend's brother smirking from the other side of a vidwindow. The Guardian cadet had started her vacation early, visiting her father before she came to Mainframe. 

"Alex." Matrix nodded, a brotherly smirk on his face. "Hope I'm not interrupting anything." 

"What was it you wanted, dear brother?" Enzo asked hurriedly. 

"Andri and I have an idea, so meet us over here when you've...finished entertaining." Matrix gave his brother a sly wink before closing the connection. 

* * * 

The roar of the crowd. 

The excitement in the air. 

The sound and smells of deletion. 

The smell of money. 

For the sprite in the background, this was a growing business and the best business to be in. Vance McMillan smiled as the crowd cheered enthusiastically for the winner in the ring. A large monster of a sprite, standing at least eight feet tall, stood smiling evilly in the center of it. The big brute hadn't even broken a sweat on his reddish brown skin. The same was not true of his opponent. The sprite that lay on the ground flickered off and on before completely disappearing. The fight had been over even before the bell had rang. The young sprite didn't even have a chance. 

He would need to be replaced. 

Vance always hated replacing fighters, but he wouldn't deny he loved watching as his best and brightest took care of 'business' for him. McMillan was a ruthless kind of guy. The kind of person who would kick you when you were down and have others take care of you for him. He was of medium height, with teal skin and long black hair pulled into a ponytail. His dark blue eyes always danced when energy could be spilled on his nice ring floor. The giant who left the ring, the crowd still cheering him on, was his personal best. Viper. 

45 wins. No losses. 

It took a special kind of fighter to even get in the ring with the brute. The kind of fighter who had guts, who had heart. Who had gotten soft and who become a liability to McMillan. Those fighters who wanted out or who had found a means of escape were booked into matches with Viper. Vance knew his star could take care of his 'problems'. And therefore, the large sprite did. But it also put a dip into the entertainment. Every time he lost a fighter, they would have to be replaced. And that took careful planning on his part. He couldn't just have _any_ fighter. He needed the best. The best gave the best shows, made the most money for him and the business. 

Now dressed in his favorite Armini suit, Vance McMillan headed towards his offices in order to talk to his 'staff' as he called them. They were basically hired hands he had saved from the worst conditions of the Net, even the Web. Vance went to great lengths to acquire the best fighters and he would do anything to assure he would get the best fighters. Walking into his office, he quickly said, "Well Radar is gone." Two sprites took their places in front of his desk as the CEO went to his chair. Vance looked at his faculty. Viper would be arriving soon, but for now, he was faced with Joey Numbers and Spaz. 

Joey Numbers stood at six foot three and weighted about two hundred and sixty-five pounds. He was a light brown with bright red hair that surely blinded anyone he came near. He was a very deadly assassin, once belonging to the dreaded Code Masters Guild. Though he was sprite in form, it wasn't his true form. If provoked, he could easily change into his alter ego as quickly as a normal sprite changed their clothing formats. He always had a nasty deposition and was ready for any dirty work. 

Spaz by contrast, was only five foot five and one hundred and twenty-three pounds. He was a pale peach color with black hair as well. He always wore a pair of shades when he wasn't fighting in the ring, as well as a green football jersey with the number 69 on the front and back. He was a member of an association known as the Degenerate Order, which also featured at least six other fighters in the league. They were a known group of hoodlums who had no appreciation for authority of any kind, other than Vance McMillan, who was an honorary member. 

"I'm going to need a replacement, boys." McMillan replied, leaning back in his leather chair. "Someone who I can look to for some good, clean entertainment. Poor Radar just didn't have it." 

"Where should we look this time, Vance?" Joey asked in a thick mobster accent. 

Vance leaned back in his chair and began to think. "Let's stick to the Super Computer." he said, bridging his fingers in front of his face. "It is, after all, the place where Guardians are made. And guardians do make the best fighters. Remember that one young cadet? The one with the temper." 

"I remember him." Spaz said, bitterly. "He beat me in the big tournament." 

"Be lucky he didn't delete you in that tournament." Vance replied, coldly. "Besides, Viper took care of him. Anyways, I need more like that. Well, not so temperamental. And I need a baby face. An underdog. Someone the crowd won't root for until he wins." 

"Where we gonna find someone like that?" Spaz asked. 

"The Guardian Academy isn't the only school in the SC." Vance said. "Im' sure you'll think of something. You're bright boys. Besides, you know what happens when I don't get what I want." 

Joey and Spaz did a combined gulp, knowing exactly what happened when Vance McMillan got upset. When Vance got upset, Viper got upset. And that was one sprite no one wanted to mess with. He could break anyone in half with one hand. The two had seen it happen before. That was a fate neither sprite wanted to encounter. 

* * * 

"Nothing." 

"Nothing." 

"Nothing." 

Four sprites sighed in disappointment and worry. They had been doing everything possible to contact their family member Kit Lan with no luck. Sabrina had repeatedly sent messages and email to her cousin's organizer and every time got no response from him. Back in Mainframe, AndrAIa and the Matrix brothers had tried the same thing, getting in touch with people they knew if they had seen the young scientist in training. 

All four had no luck. 

"Okay, now I'm getting worried." AndrAIa said, sitting in front of a console in the Principal Office. 

"Should we tell Bob and Dot?" Enzo wondered. 

"Of course!" Sabrina exclaimed. "It is their son we're talking about!" 

"We've gone through every possible explanation as to why he isn't answering." Matrix said, pacing back and forth. "And every one of them has turned up nothing." 

"Look. Gang." Sabrina said, from the other side of her vidwindow. "Kit is a little male Dot Matrix, okay? He doesn't go _anywhere_ without his organizer. He's always on time, mostly five to ten micros early! If he says he's going to be somewhere, that's where he'll be at that time. You guys, if you haven't noticed, this is not classic Chris we're seeing here, which means something is terribly wrong in the Super Computer." 

"I agree with Bri." AndrAIa said, turning to look at the boys. 

"Me too." Enzo said, looking towards his brother. 

Matrix stopped his pacing, feeling six pairs of eyes on him. They were waiting for him to decide on something. Everything they had said was true. Something was not right with this picture, horribly not right at all. The large sprite wanted to storm the Super Computer and start a search for his nephew right at the moment, but even he knew that was impossible and random at best. They needed a plan and there was only person you went to if you needed a plan. 

They had to tell Dot and Bob.   


**Chapter 3 - Lock Down**

Kit paced the length of his small cell, trying to think. He was in trouble, he knew, but from who or what was the real problem. Things weren't making sense, but yet were becoming very clear. Perhaps he had been kidnapped. If so, would the kidnappers want a reward? And who were the others in the cells next to him? Had they been kidnapped as well? Try as he might, the boy couldn't understand the huge mess he was now in. 

All he knew was he wanted to go home. 

The smell of his confinement was starting to get to him, as well as the fact that it was well past the time he should've had lunch. Kit stopped pacing and concentrated on a way to get out. Looking around him, he saw it was impossible to say the least. Reinforced concrete stood on three sides of him and a steel door greeted him in the front. Kit knew there could be only way to get of here and that meant using his powers, something he still hadn't gotten use to. Added to that, what would happen if his "kidnappers" knew of this? The boy sighed and shook his head. This was a much bigger problem than he realized. 

The far-off sound of a door being opened caused mass excitement on all sides of Kit's cell. In the foreground, he could hear the raucous cheers and laughter of a large crowd, which was then shut out as the door closed and the people on either side of the boy began yelling as well. "Settle down!" came a loud cry. Kit rushed to his cell bars to see who the new arrival was. Soon, a portly zero binome waddled his way down the hall pushing a large cart in front of him. The cart held a plethora of bowls which Kit could only hope was food. The zero threw a bowl into every cell he past, yelling obscenities at the prisoners inside when they made snide remarks. When the zero got to Kit's cell, he smiled a grotesque toothy grin at the boy. 

"So you're the baby face we've been hearing about." he said, gruffly. "Welcome to your new home." 

"What're you talking about?" asked Kit, frustrated by the implications. "Where am I?" 

The zero banged the bars with a large stick, causing Kit to jump back. "Watch your mouth, boy!" he scolded. "I'm the food giver around here, so you better settle down." 

"If you can this slime food!" someone hollered. The cells all erupted with laughter. 

"Settle down or you won't get any gruel!" shouted the zero. Turning back to Kit, he said, "Listen, baby face, you're here for one thing and one thing only and that ain't to talk back to me." He threw a bowl into Kit, who eyed it with great trepidation. "Now eat your food." 

"_This is food?!_" Kit exclaimed, looking at the runny chunks of...well, what ever it was oozing out of the bowl. 

"It is for you, so pipe down!" The zero shouted, as he walked past to deliver the gruel to the next cell. 

Kit ran back to the bars and looked out at the zero. "You must be random!" he shouted. "I've seen better looking food from my elementary school. Now you come back here or..." 

"Or what?" said the zero, suddenly now face to face with the boy. 

Kit was startled at the sudden appearance by the cell keeper, but he was also upset with the conditions here. He almost made a comment about his parents, but decided against it. The last thing he needed was for this binome to find out his father was Guardian 452 of Mainframe. Kit still wasn't sure on the ransom aspect, but he knew this was one time even his parents couldn't save him. 

The zero smirked at the boy. "Just as I thought." he said, backing away. "You're not gonna last long here, baby face. Those fighters will have you for breakfast. This may be the last time we see each other, baby face." 

The zero laughed as he continued handing out bowls to the prisoners, leaving Kit in his lonely cell. A rumble from his stomach told him he couldn't last like this without any food, but taking another look at the bowl on the ground, he lost his appetite fast. Instead, Kit stood next to the wall and began thinking. He didn't get a lot from that guard, but he did get some information. Obviously he was in some seedy organization, maybe even system where they arranged fights for spectators. And judging on the food they were given down here, they obviously weren't the favorites to win. 

Kit didn't like this. Not at all. By the way the zero had spoke, the boy's number would be coming up and he apparently wouldn't be lasting long. Kit hated not knowing what was happening around him. It was like the feeling he had when his grandfather had shown up in Mainframe. Kit had to dig and pry in order to find out the whole truth of the matter and had even considerate leaving Mainframe with the old blue sprite. Thankfully cooler processors prevailed and he stayed and was able to attend the Science Institute. But now, he was standing in a foul smelling cell, with disgusting food on the floor, and a not so happy outlook for the coming seconds. He wasn't even sure if it was the same second or not. 

He just hoped Sabrina realized something was wrong. 

* * * 

Enzo watched as his sister paced back and forth in front of him. He felt horrible at what he had to say, but they had to tell them. Sooner or later they would discover something was amiss, especially when Sabrina had arrived shortly beforehand without their son in tow. He and his family now sat in the command room of the Principal Office, trying to figure out what could've happened to Kit. It just wasn't like him to go off and not tell anyone, especially Sabrina or even Enzo himself, who were like siblings to the boy. If they didn't know where he was, no one else would. 

"Bri, you swear you couldn't have missed him by a few micros, nanos even?" Bob asked, worriedly. 

"Uncle Bob, I swear to you, I was there when I was supposed to be." Sabrina sighed. "I even talked to his roommate, who said kit was gone for his morning walk while he was still in bed. Kit said he'd be back within the millisecond because I was meeting him there in order to go home. I got there right as he said, Uncle Bob. I promise." 

"It's not like him." Dot murmured, continuing to pace. "It's just not like him to go off..." 

"And not tell anybody." Bob finished. 

"Are you guys you checked _everywhere_?" Alex asked, leaning against the table. 

"Everywhere." Matrix said. "We even confirmed that SI was on break this cycle. It was a rare occurrences when both schools were out at the same time." 

"Then where is he?" Sabrina exclaimed. 

"Let there be calm, my children." Phong replied, whirling over to the girl. "It is imperative that we find young Christopher's whereabouts before anything happens to him." 

"That's just it, Phong." Enzo said. "We don't _know_ of his whereabouts. That makes it kinda hard." 

"Nothing." AndrAIa huffed, as she walked into the room. "I checked every place in the Super Computer and nothing of importance is going around over. Just it's break time and that's it." 

"I hate to bring this up, but..." Alex started, hesitantly. 

"But?" Bob questioned. 

"Is it possible...I mean, could...Do you think that maybe...and just maybe now, Kit could've been kidnapped?" 

The room went silent as all eyes were upon Alex. 

"Maybe?" she asked. "I'm not saying he was! I just...I'm just saying that...Will you guys stop looking at me like that?!" 

"Do you really think he could've been kidnapped?" Dot asked. 

"I...I..." Alex stuttered. 

"If this theory is true," Phong spoke. "Who would possibly want to kidnap him?" 

All at once, one image was brought to the minds of the sprites in the room. The image of a greedy, selfish man who had the audacity to accuse his own son of murder. Who was so wrapped up in his own misguided guilt, he had caused another ripple of desecration into the Mainframe family. Someone who had made the very threat of taking Kit with him and never returning. Sabrina looked up and saw the angered faces of her family members. 

"Now, wait a nano." she said, also thinking along those lines. "I know we're all thinking the same thing, and as much as I hate to suggest it, we have to give the guy the benefit of the doubt. Innocent until proven guilty, Uncle Bob. That's what you said!" 

"Can you think of any other suspects?" Bob asked, bitterly. 

"Um...no." Sabrina replied. "Not...not at this moment." 

"Hey, let's stay frosty, all right?" Enzo pleaded. "I know the guy didn't rub us the right way, but Bri's right. Besides, we know where Kit stands. He wouldn't have gone." 

"At least not willingly." Matrix muttered. 

Enzo shot his brother a look. "Keep your comments to yourself." 

"Look, gang," AndrAIa reasoned. "Either way you look at it, we're still in the same boat. We don't know who has Kit, if indeed he has been kidnapped. And we don't know where they are. We're right back to where we started." 

"Thanks for the words of encouragement, Mom." Sabrina mumbled, sarcastically. 

"Sabrina, be like your father." the game sprite retorted. "Keep your comments to yourself." 

"This is getting us nowhere." Bob said, dejectedly. 

"If we could just find more information." Dot suggested. 

"I wish Mouse had not left us." Phong said, sadly. 

Suddenly, both Sabrina and AndrAIa stood up and shouted, "That's it!" Both mother and daughter looked at each in surprise and amusement. "Bri, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" she asked. 

Sabrina went to answer, but her face went into a state of confusion. "No," she said. "I'm thinking what _I'm_ thinking. Why? What're _you_ thinking?" 

"I'm thinking some of our questions can be answered by either Mouse or Ray." AndrAIa replied, going over to a nearby console. 

"Oh!" Sabrina said, nodding her head. "Then I guess I _was_ thinking what you were thinking." 

"There is a downside to that plan, Andri." Matrix said, standing behind his wife. 

"What downside?" 

"It could take millies, even seconds, before we get something from those two." he continued. "We haven't gotten anything so far, right?" 

"Know what I love about you, Lover?" AndrAIa asked, sarcastically. "Your sunny optimism. Now, shut up and get away from me." 

AndrAIa quickly typed an email to their friends aboard Mouse's ship, in hopes the message would get to them. In the back of her mind, the game sprite knew her husband to be correct. They hadn't heard from Mouse in a while and she it made Bob and Dot extremely worried. If anyone was to know what was going, it would the reformed hacker and her Web surfer boyfriend. 

* * * 

Vance sat in his office, leaning back in his chair. He had gotten word that Joey and Spaz had come back with what they thought were some perfect fighters. Vance hadn't looked them over yet, but he had confidence in his bumbling flunkies. A dumb as they were, Joey and Spaz were his best fighters and strongest next to Viper. Viper he saved for special occasions. Word from Joey was that they had gotten about four sprite, three by invitation, one without so much of an invite. He had said the last one was a kid he had gotten from the Nerd School on the west side of the SC. Vance knew he meant the Science Institute. Such a boring way to spend eight hours of a young life. He figured this was the baby face that he wanted, but the Institute? Not too muscles in that group. He'd probably have to get another one by the end of the cycle, but eh. 

It was a living. 

Sighing as he sat back up, he pulled out his organizer and began making the matches for the cycle's end. He wanted to show his new prodigies off as soon as possible and see where they stood. He'd have to go down into the holding cells and view them. McMillan scrunched his nose up at the mere thought. It was disgusting down there and that fat zero that gave out food was an annoying little null. But, not every fighter could have the finer things like he did. If they wanted that, they had to work for it. And that meant money in the pocket for him. Thinking to himself, he knew there would have to be some title belt matches, something even he enjoyed. 

His business was an enjoyable one. Where else could you get yourself an I/O shoot, get a sexy girl and be entertained by pure and unadulterated violence, all in the same arena. And it was always packed with mostly low lifes, but even some of the 'higher ups' got a kick in it. They could bet on their favorite fighter and perhaps win in the bank's blowout bet. It was rare when someone actually won, but if they kept their bargain, they could keep his money. For a price of course. Vance smiled. How he loved cold hard units at night. They filled his dreams, his life, his bed, his bath...he'd wear it if he could. This was the business to be in, that was for sure. He smirked and looked at his organizer again. 

It was time to see the new recruits. 

* * * 

An annoying beeping sound had interrupted Mouse's "playtime" as she stumbled from her bedroom to the front of her vessel, Ship. She was disheveled, her fiery red hair going every way which, as she pulled the robe tighter around her waist. Rubbing her eyes, she saw the incoming message flashing onscreen. Sighing, she threw herself in the pilot's chair and opened it. They hadn't been in Mainframe since the whole Packard incident, which the hacker hated being reminded of. That's why she had taken off with Ray. She could handle the bug situation and the whole Matrix family thing, but Packard she could not. That blue sprite always gave her jaggies whenever he was around. Even mentioning his name sent an evil shock wave through her circuits. Besides, she had worn out her welcome. She just needed an excuse to leave. 

So for her to receive an emergency message from the very system she had left, Mouse knew instantly something was wrong. Opening the message, she could tell it had been sent from the Principal Office, which meant things hot gotten hotter since they had left. The message was from AndrAIa and had been typed quickly by the shortness of it. In big bold letters, it read: MOUSE. BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE MAINFRAME. VID BACK ASAP. DRE. Mouse scratched her head in confusion. What could possibly be wrong now? They had just escaped trouble, twice no less in the span of a few minutes and already they were back at it. Mouse shook her head. That system had more troubles than a null in a game. 

Leaning back, she quickly sent a response back home. 

* * * 

Alex and little Chip sat at the command table, playing a game of Go Fish. Alex had volunteered to stay back while three sprites took care of a game, Dot went to see Al at the Wait and Eat, and Phong retired to drink a cup of cocoa in his study. Alex had been left basically alone in the room, thinking of Kit's current predicament. She certainly hoped nothing had happened to him. She loved the little guy since she had met him the first time she arrived in Mainframe. He was like family, as was everyone in the system. Knowing that something horrible might have happened only made her angry and afraid. 

She had been laying on top of the table when Chip had found her, wanting someone to play with. Looking at him, the young cadet couldn't get over how much he looked like Matrix and Enzo in some way, as both brothers were the same code. Though he had his mother's blue eyes, his face and mannerisms matched that of Matrix the renegade to a tee. Watching the small children she had meant so long ago grow up, always made Alex think about the children she would have one second. And looking at Sabrina and Chip always made her wonder if the children she would have with Enzo ~she knew that from the start~ would act like the two Matrix children. True, both could act like their mother sometimes, but it always surprised Alex on how much were like their father. Other than the famous Matrix temper, but just things that even Enzo could still be seen doing as well. 

"Play Alex?" the young boy asked, holding up a deck of cards. 

"Sure, kiddo." she said, swinging her legs around and plopping into a chair. "Whatcha feel like playing?" 

"Poker!" cried Chip. 

"Uh...no." Alex said, taking the cards. "In fact, I won't even tell your Mommy about that." 

So the two sat down and began a game of Go Fish, one in which Alex was letting the boy win. A beeping noise from one of the consoles alerted her that someone was trying to contact them. "What's up, Specs?" she asked. 

"It seems we're getting an outside message." the one binome replied. "Confirmed. It's from Mouse." 

"Alphanumeric." Alex sighed, standing. "Put it on screen and I'll send a message to Dot and the others. Hopefully that game will end by the time Andri and the boys get here." 

Soon, Dot, Alex, and Phong greeted the sleep hacker as she yawned from the other side of a vidwindow. Alex looked at her watch and the still standing game cube that stood right outside the Principal Office. Luckily Sabrina had come back and reluctantly agreed to take her younger brother somewhere so he couldn't hear the gist of conversation. Of course this was only after she was promised the whole story from Alex when they were done. 

"Okay Sugahs." Mouse groaned. "I'm partially awake, so this had better be the most important thing you'll ever tell me." 

"First, let me say how nice it is to see you again, Mouse." Phong said, smiling. 

"Back at cha, Phong baby." Mouse said. "So what's processing?" 

"Kit's missing." Dot said, bluntly. 

"What do you mean he's missing?" asked the hacker. 

"He was supposed to meet me at his dorm early this morning so we could take the ship and come back here." Sabrina replied, strolling into the room. 

"Aren't you supposed to be watching your brother?" Alex asked. 

The girl shrugged her shoulders. "I got bored." she said. "Don't worry. Junior's fine. I left him over by the weapons supply. He'll be fine." 

All four sprites' jaws dropped. 

"What?" Sabrina asked, seeing their expressions. "Trust me. He's fine." 

"Alex..." Dot said, closing her eyes at the very thought of leaving _any_ of her brother's children around guns and explosives. 

"I'll go get him." the cadet said, glaring at Sabrina before she left. 

"Anyways, as I was saying," the girl continued. "Kit wasn't there and I waited and waited for him and he never showed up." 

"That's not like him." Mouse said, shaking her head. 

"Yes, we know." Sabrina muttered, rolling her eyes. "Alex thinks he might have been kidnapped." 

Mouse's eyes went big as saucers. The thought would never cross her mind, even when talking about the folks of the system. But if it was true... 

"You don't think he was, do you, Mouse?" Dot asked. 

Mouse took a deep breath. She knew more about the seedier side of most anything and she knew it could happen, but hopefully not to Kit. Not to a family like this. Her family. She and Dot were like sisters and that made Kit family too. "Dot, Honey," she started. "Now, you know it could've happened. I hope not, but it could. Now from the beginning. What happened?" 

Sabrina once again recounted everything that happened from the time she reached Kit's dormitory to the time she had just arrived in the room. The girl also told about speaking to some of Kit's friends who passed him during his morning walk and all said he was chipper and was reading. Mouse nodded. If it had been any other person, she would've said the child had probably run away, but not Kit. His dreams had just started, there wa nothing he should be running away from. Immediately, she began thinking of a possible suspect. "You know..." she started. 

"Yes, we do." Dot interrupted. "Believe me, he's the first name on our list, but as AndrAIa put it this afternoon, we're still nowhere. If it was Packard, we don't know where he is. And if it's not, then we don't know who has him or where they are. That's where you come in." 

"I don't mind cutting our vacation short to find Kit." Mouse said, determinedly. "I hate to do this, but it'll take me a couple of seconds to get some good information, Dot." 

"I know." the commander sighed. "Take as long as you need, Mouse. As long as we get something." 

The hacker nodded her head and closed the connection.   


**Before we get this chapter started, I wanted to address certain things and thank some people. The next sequence of chapters will involve the illegal sport known as "cockfighting", where chickens are forced to fight until one dies. It is illegal and subsequently banned in the USA. Also in this chapter are big descriptions of certain wrestling moves and matches attributed to ECW (currently part of the WWF) as well a UFC. A great big thanks goes to my boyfriend, Chris "Stone Cold Steve Austin" Tyree with help on the moves I didn't know, as well as WWF No Mercy for the N64 play station. Thanks baby! And to the...******

**DISCLAIMER: All moves and character parodies belong to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) which is owned by Vince McMahon. Parodies of Paul Heyman and other ECW stars first belong to Paul Heyman and next to the WWF, which is currently the owner of ECW as well as WCW (World Championship Wrestling). I do not own any of them, but I wish I owned The Rock, who is currently married with a child on the way. :) Okay, this is the part of the story that is rated R for violence and language. Reader discretion advised.**

**Chapter 4 - First Match**

How long Kit had been here, he didn't know, but he knew it had to have been seconds. The boy himself felt faint and weak. He hadn't eaten in that span of time, skipping at least one breakfast and two lunches and dinners. He was incredibly tired, having slept in odd positions, mostly standing up, refusing to even consider sleeping on his less than adequate floor. Kit was still in the dark on the reason why he was even in this place, other than sheer torture on the part of the people who had brought him here. 

Just when Kit had given up all hope of getting out, he was released. 

It had all started a few seconds later, at least two from the time he'd arrived, when the portly zero returned with the cart of food. But this time, only a few trays were on it and instead of handing them out to each cell prisoner, he headed straight for Kit's cell first. "Hey baby face!" he called, causing Kit to jump from his spot and rush over. "This is for you." The guard handed him a tray, complete with energy shake. Kit almost cried in joy. A burger and fries. Kit frantically started shoving food in his mouth, washing it all down with the shake. 

"Take it easy, Kid." the zero smirked. "If you're still hungry, I got another plate for you." 

Kit looked up in surprise, as the guard walked away. Feeling nourished for the first time in seconds, the boy continued wolfing down his food and indeed requested another tray as the zero came back around. Kit couldn't understand the sudden turn around by management if you will, into giving the prisoners decent food. He would find out a bit later. But for now, he had food and that was most important. His two meals slightly made up what he had missed since he had been taken from school. And the energy shake did boost his energy level. 

It had been at least two milliseconds since the zero had come down and the recent delivery had Kit's interest peaked. Perhaps he'd be able to find out what was going on after all. Kit leaned against the wall, deep in thought. The whole thing was puzzling in any event, but now it seemed a piece of the puzzle had been added. Where he fit, he still didn't know, but he was determined to find out. His thoughts turned to his family, who he hoped were desperately searching for him. If they hadn't figured out by now that he was in some trouble, they weren't the sprite he thought they were. He shook his head. Of course they were looking for him. 

The question was, would they find him? 

"Hey baby face!" 

Kit broke from his thoughts and saw the portly zero, this time holding a semi-automatic rifle pointed straight at him, and another binome, this time a one, standing in front of his cell. Kit tensed at the new development. Had they fed him to delete him? Not likely, but the thought was sobering. "If you want to live, I suggest you take it easy." the zero said. Gesturing to the one, he said, "Open it." 

The one binome quickly unlocked the cell door, cautiously opening it. The zero gestured with his weapon for Kit to step out, which the boy did. He now had a view of the place he was in. It seemed to be an underground jail, with a row of cell doors coming from one end to the other. To his left, Kit could make out the outline of stairs or steps. To the right, he saw more cell doors, with more prisoners in them. The one binome made his way down the line, unlocking certain cells and allowing prisoners to exit. In all, there were six of them, including Kit. 

"All right." the zero announced. "The boss wants to see you, so step lively. And don't make any stupid moves." Pointing the rifle at Kit, he said, "You first, baby face." 

Kit glared at the zero, before heading off down the long corridor, leading the rest of the group. It gave Kit a chance to see who else would be meeting the same fate. In some cells, he saw the leftovers of life. The dredges that could be commonly seen hanging around Al's diner, but Kit had never seen sprites like this before. In Mainframe, it was mostly the binomes that were the drunken idiots and gang members. The ones that still thought the virus Megabyte would come back and rid the system of the sprites in charge. The sprites Kit knew were up-standing citizens. Even Mouse and Ray, who had both spent time in a holding cell. And the pirates, whose reputation had changed since meeting the boy's mother, Dot Matrix. 

In most of the cells, Kit saw sprites like him. Kids. Some huddled together in a corner with a sibling or someone they had just met in order to keep warm. They were scared from the looks of it and hungry too. As he walked past, Kit felt a twinge of guilt for having wolfed down two lunches when the kids he saw here probably hadn't even had one in those two, three seconds he had been there. Maybe even longer. Kit even noticed what looked to be a 0.6 hour old, only two hours older than his own siblings, shivering in a corner, meekly eating the "gruel" that had been handed out seconds ago. 

A scuffle from behind brought Kit from his wanderings. He and the rest of the group turned, as a fight had started between the one binome and the sixth member of the group, who had been trailing behind. He had knocked the binome unconscious while trying to grab his weapon. In a nano, the portly zero had turned and shot the sprite, straight through the chest. Kit walked slowly to the sprite, who lay convulsing on the ground. The boy had never seen anything like this. There was a huge, gaping hole in the boy's chest ~he couldn't have been more than three or four hours older than Kit~ and blue energy spilled from either side until it made a pool on the floor. The sprite flickered in and out before finally dimming and fading from view. 

"Ollie!" cried the zero. "Get another one!" 

The one binome nodded and randomly selected a cell. When he reemerged, a young boy, about the same age of Kit, walked out shyly and went to the back of the line. He was a little shorter than Kit, with deep purple skin and lavender eyes. His black hair was flat, but had small spikes in the front. He gasped when he saw the pool of blood and he fought hard to keep back a wall of tears. Kit nodded to him and smiled, wanting to comfort the boy, who was obviously scared. He looked like he had been there well before Kit arrived and that frightened the young scientist more than anything. 

"Baby face!" the guard called. "Let's go. I'll get the maid to clean that up." The zero and one both laughed, a joke at Kit's expense no doubt. 

The boy moved back to his place in line and headed for the stairs. 

Upon reaching the stairs, Kit opened the door and was bombarded with light. It was so new, much brighter than the dark room they had been in, the group had to shield their eyes. They had entered some sort of hallway, that lead them past an arena of sorts. Kit could easily see the crowd above him, cheering wildly for the participants in the ring below. The crowd seemed to be a mix of Al's clientele and that of Wall Street and Beverly Hills residents. There were sprites and binomes alike, screaming and booing all at the same time. Before Kit could fully view all the "patrons", the zero pushed him with the muzzle of the gun to keep moving. 

Towards the end of the hallway was a door in which Kit was instructed to open. It was a standard business office, complete with desk, lamp, and leather chair. It almost reminded Kit of Phong's office in the P.O. Almost. This office was much sleazier than the pure and true office of the Mainframe mentor and friend. The group of six were ushered in and made to stand in front of the desk. The chair's back was to them, but it slowly turned to reveal Vance McMillan, the owner of the "business" they were now in. Vance smiled at the group before him and waved the two binome guards away from them. He looked each sprite over, stood, and walked to stand in front of them. 

"Welcome boys." he said, grinning. "In case you didn't know, I'm Vance McMillan, owner of my little business." 

"And what type of _business_ is it that you run?" Kit asked. 

His question was soon answered with the butt of the rifle hitting him squarely in the back, causing the boy to stagger forward. 

"Don't speak until you're spoken to!" growled the zero. 

The youngster who joined as the replaced sixth member came to Kit's aid, as the boy held the small of his back. Kit gritted from the pain, but in his mind he knew he would get even with that zero binome. He gave a small smile to the boy that helped him steady himself. The lad smiled back, remembering the smile his new friend had given him. Vance smirked at the binome. "Now, now, Chester." he chuckled. "That's not the polite way to treat our new fighters." 

"Fighters?" asked the purple skinned boy. 

"You see," Vance started, pacing the floor as he did. "This business is all about war. The war between sprite and binome alike. I take that war and settle it in the circle out there." 

Kit's eyes widened in horror. If what Vance McMillan said was true, this 'business' as he called it, was not only dangerous, but very illegal. He remembered his Dad and Mouse talking about it and even Matrix knew about the life of nullfighting. It was a sport in which sprite and binome battled in a ring, while people cheered. It was like wrestling meets kickboxing meets a street fight. The sport along those lines would've been fine, if not for the illegalness of it. Weapons were always allowed and a winner of a title belt was only a true winner if they managed to murder their opponent. It was illegal because of the brutality of it. 

The sport had then gone underground due to its being banned all across the Net, but there were still fighters and crowds who wanted to see it. It had then gone down even worst trails when some promoters were arrested for kidnapping potential fighters, especially children, and forcing them to fight in the ring. Many were orphans, their parents being deleted during the ongoing Daemon war and subsequent bug battle and now resided on the street. Many had been in Kit's situation. Kidnapped from school or even home. The problem was...many did not survive. If they didn't starve from the lack of food, they meet their deaths later. 

In the ring. 

"You must be random!" Kit exclaimed. "There's no way I or any of us are going to be a part of this...this...murdering massacre!" 

Everyone looked at the boy in shock and confusion. Vance smirked and then started laughing. He went back around to his desk and opened a drawer. "My dear, sweet boy," he said, his hand swimming around for something. Pulling out a revolver, he pointed it at Kit. 

"What makes you think you have a choice?" 

Kit gulped, being threatened twice in one night was certainly new to the boy. "Now, most of you I saved." Vance continued. "If it wasn't for me, you'd still be on the streets. So I think you owe me. The six of you will be fighting in some of tonight's matches. If you win, you obviously live. If you lose, well it's still early in your career. Now, go make yourselves stars. Make sure when you leave, you give your names to our illustrious announcer." 

With that, the group was led back out in to the hallway. 

* * * 

Two seconds. 

Two seconds had come and gone since they had last heard from Mouse. It had been a little over that since anyone had last seen Kit Lan, who mysteriously disappeared from the Super Computer's Science Institute. The mood in Mainframe, though mostly happy and exuberant for the citizens, was somber for the members of the boy's family. The only thing they could do was wait until they got a word from Mouse. 

It was late in the afternoon when a message came in to the command center. 

"Mouse, thank the User!" Dot exclaimed, upon seeing the worried, yet expectant face of her friend. "Any word?" 

"Yeah." the hacker sighed. "But I think you may want to take this in your office. And get the gang in there, minus Sabrina and Alex even." 

The look on the hacker's face only gave more worries to Dot, but she simply nodded to the request and had the window forwarded to her office. She then got in contact with Matrix, AndrAIa, Enzo, and Bob to come to her office immediately. Asking no questions, the quartet were in the Principal Office and headed straight for Dot's office. As they came in, Phong met them and closed the door behind them. On a vidwindow was Mouse, with Ray seated besides her. 

"Long time no see, Mouse." AndrAIa quipped. Seeing the stoic faces of the three sprites already in the room, she changed tactics. "Something up?" 

"Yeah, you can say that." she sighed. 

"Okay then." Enzo said, taking a seat. "We're big boys and girls. Give it to us straight." 

Mouse glanced at Ray before speaking. "It was actually Ray who found out about it, but...rumors are going around about another UFL." 

"Are you sure?" Matrix asked. 

"What's a UFL?" Enzo asked. 

"This could be bad." Bob replied. 

"Hold it, hold it!" Dot commanded. "I'm with Enzo. What the Net is a UFL?" 

Five sprites looked at each other, then at Phong, Enzo, and Dot. "UFL stands for Ultimate Fighting League." Ray said. 

"More like Underground Fighting Losers." Matrix muttered. 

"You know those sports where nulls are forced to fight each other to deletion?" Bob asked. The trio nodded. "That's what this is, only with sprites and binomes." 

"That's barbaric!" Dot exclaimed. 

"It's a business." Matrix continued. "Different promoters get fighters from all around the Net to fight. It started as a legit sport. It combines aspects of wrestling, kick boxing, martial arts, any legitimate sport. But somewhere along the way, it became a deletion match. Weapons were being used to not only hurt your opponent, but to delete them as well. Especially if a title's involved. It was banned. In fact, it's illegal to even start a league now." 

"So what happened?" Enzo asked, on the edge of his seat. 

"Weapon use and street fight tactics weren't the only reasons why it was banned." AndrAIa stated. "Some promoters were charged with kidnapping and murder." 

"Kidnapping?" squeaked Phong. 

"Murder?" asked Dot. 

"Whoa." breathed Enzo. 

"The promoter gets some of his 'hired hands' so to speak to kidnap sprites and binomes and bring them into the league." Ray said. "Most are the blokes you'd find over at Al's. Some are your every second businessman. Like Matrix said, a title match is usually the end if they make it that far." 

"Most delete from hunger." Bob mentioned. "Most of the prisoners are locked underneath the arena and aren't fed until they're picked to fight." 

"How horrible." Dot whispered. Turning her attention back to Mouse, she asked, "But what does...?" 

"Mouse, you're not serious." AndrAIa said, looking at the hacker. 

"Like I said," Mouse restated. "it wasn't me who found out. It was Ray." 

"And it's just rumors now, Love." Ray replied. "But from what I found out, there's a league on the Net somewhere. And...they've been "recruiting" new fighters." 

Matrix shook his head. "We had better hope Packard kidnapped Kit." he said. "Cause a UFL's the _last_ place he should be." 

* * * 

After their meeting with Vance, the six member group, along with their two guards took a different route around the arena. There, they were lead to a table where they were to write down their information, such as desired name and energy type. It was here Kit learned the names of his companions. There was Moose, a sprite who stood just as tall as Matrix, with short blond hair and hazel eyes. He had pale green skin and was built like a football player. Then there was Rich Van Drexel, who wanted to be known as RVD. He was red with blue eyes and blue colored hair. He was swift on his feet and agile and he would be going first. Next was Smash Rally ~pronounce 'Rolly'~ a short little one binome, who seemed way too hyper to want to get his match done and over with. Then there was Peter Williams, a martial arts expert. And Roscoe Bettyoskin, the boy Kit had befriended. 

The group was soon lead around to another side of the arena, one where the fighters geared up before entering. There would be at least eight matches that night, six involving the newcomers and two involving titles. This was actually the first time Kit could look inside the ring. True to the stories he had overheard from Matrix, the walls of the circle were completely covered with weapons of every type. The only weapons not see were guns, but knives, chairs, 4x4s, tables, you name it, it was in the ring. The walls were brick, but had ring ropes in front to stop a fighter from ramming into the wall. Not that was any consolation for Kit. The announcers could be heard over the loudspeaker, as the crowd cheered in response. 

"Welcome ladies and gentlemen!" called a voice. "And welcome to another action packed night of good, clean violence!" The crowd roared. 

From where Kit stood, he could see the announce booth above them. He could clearly the man who brought him here, Vance McMillan, sitting next to a yellow sprite in a baseball hat. They sat peacefully in the booth, neither one caring that they would see an energy bath that night. Both were used to it. "Are you ready?" asked the announcer. The crowd responded loudly. "Here we go!" he shouted. "First, entering the ring, a newcomer in his first fight. He weighs 215 pounds...RICH VAN DREXEL!" The crowd cheered for the little guy, as he jumped happily in the ring. 

"Do you think he'll make it?" someone asked. 

Kit turned and saw Roscoe standing next to him. He was about to answer when he was interrupted by the announcer. 

"And his opponent, weighing at 459 pounds. From the mean streets of Grinich, Big Daddy Kool!" 

A large sprite, who had to be at least 7 feet tall, stroll out to an enormous cheer. He was peach, with long brown hair and steely dark eyes. As soon as RVD saw him, the small sprite almost cowered with fear. "I'd say he doesn't have much of a chance." Kit said, looking at the incredible height difference between the two. The bell rang and the match was on. RVD took a frontal attack, trying to beat the giant down to no avail. Kool just knocked him down to the ground. RVD got up and started again and was this time picked up by Kool, who held him over his head as the crowd cheered. He then just dropped the sprite, from a height of at least 12, 15 feet in the air. RVD landed hard on the ground. 

Clutching his stomach and coughing, he quickly made a break to a nearby wall to rest. He wouldn't rest long. Kool came running at him with a large pipe he had gotten from the side wall. He missed RVD by mere inches. The pipe hit the wall and left a deep indentation. Using the miss, RVD was able to kick at the big sprite's leg, causing him to drop the pipe. RVD then delivered a high roundhouse kick using the top rung as a catapult. Big Daddy Kool staggered a bit, surprised by the blow. Seeing an opening, Rich once again delivered a roundhouse kick to the face, knocking Kool to the ground. Running towards the ropes, RVD came back and did a flip ~which Kit would learn was called a 'senton splash'~ and landed square in Kool's chest. 

The move left Kool breathless, yes, but it didn't hurt him. He immediately sat up and glared at RVD, who was looking for a weapon of choice. He discovered a kendo stick, grabbed it, and ran straight for Kool. But Kool was ready and delivered a 'big boot' to the face, knocking RVD down. The big sprite then picked RVD from the floor. 

"Think you're so tough, huh?" the sprite spat. "You ain't shit, little man. And I'm about to kick your ASCII all over this arena." 

He grabbed the sprite in his arms, hoisting him on his shoulder. Then looking at the crowd for confirmation, he threw Rich on the ground, ~a 'sidewalk slam' Kit learned~ causing him to land hard on his back. RVD withered in pain on the ground, his back taking a hard bruising. Kool picked up the kendo stick and slammed it hard into Van Drexel's stomach, knocking the wind out of him. He then cracked the stick over the sprite's ribs, the sound of wood hitting flesh sent chills up Kit's spine. RVD was screaming in pain now, as Kool continued his beating. All the while the crowd cheered, loving every moment. 

RVD lay on the ground, tears coming from his eyes, and coughing painfully. Kool delivered a quick elbow drop to the boy's sternum, causing Rich to sit up with pain. Kool then grabbed the boy and positioned his head between his legs. "Kool is setting up for the Last Ride!" shouted Vance. "This is gonna put RVD into a lot of pain and hurt." 

"You said it, Vance." said the other announcer. "Kool has never missed with this move." 

"What in the Net is the last ride?" Kit asked, frantically. 

"In wrestling terms, it's called a power bomb." said Moose. "The person, namely RVD now, is flipped over so that he is sitting on the deliverer, namely Kool's, shoulders. Then he's slammed down on the ground. A power bomb is nothing, but the Last Ride is like a _super_ power bomb." 

Kool gave a sadistic smile as he prepared his "last ride". But before he could grab Rich, the sprite slumped down and delivered a well placed forearm to Kool's groin. "RVD goes downstairs to escape a Last Ride!" shouted the announcer. 

"A low blow has saved RVD, folks." replied Vance. 

Indeed it had saved RVD. While Kool doubled over, RVD took the kendo stick and again hit a low blow on Kool. He then started to deliver the same beating he had received from the giant. While Kool was on his knees in pain, RVD ran against the ropes and connected with a dropkick. Picking up a nearby folding chair, Rich said, "Think I'm shit? Eat this!" He then slammed the chair over Kool's head, the sound causing Kit to jump at the brutality. The shot didn't cause Kool to go down though. Rich held the chair in front of Kool's face and scored with a side kick into the chair. 

Kool fell with a thud. 

A referee finally appeared from the sides to check on Kool. The big giant had energy coming from his nose, which was now surely broken, as well as cuts on his face. The ref checked for a pulse and when he found one, he gave a thumbs up, then a wave of his hand. "The winner of this bout, by total knock out is RICH VAN DREXEL!" cried the announcer. The crowd cheered enthusiastically as the ref rose RVD's hand in the air and the med units came bringing a stretcher for Kool. 

* * * 

The night of matches went on through the night. Surprisingly, only Peter Williams, the martial arts expert, was the one who lost in the small grroup of six. RVD had one his match against a giant of a sprite. Then Moose easily won his match, as did Smash. The one match Kit was worried about, besides his own, was the match that pitted his new friend Roscoe against Gorgeous George Gentry. Gentry's gerth was three times the size of Roscoe, but Kit's new friend was able to use his speed against the big man for a win. 

Now it was Kit's turn. 

As the announcer called his name, Kit walked into the ring, admist a few cheers and many boos. His oppanent was a man named Killah, who was only a foot taller than the boy himself. But he had more muscles than Kit and looked to be more professional in the ring. Kit looked the sprite up and down, as did the sprite look Kit up and down. Kit began unbuttoning his shirt and removed it. As he went to drape it on the side ropes, Killah moved fast. He planted an elbow in the boy's still hurting back. Kit yelped in pain and was then trapped in a submission like hold. Killah wrapped one arm around the boy's neck while trapping his arm in the air with the other arm. As Kit struggled against it, the tighter the hold became, until Killah threw the boy over his head ~something Kit would learned was a 'suplex', for which Killah called a 'killamission'~. Kit landed on his head and neck, grabbing them in pain. 

With Kit down, Killah kicked the boy in the stomach. As he went for him again, Kit landed a punch to Killah's gut. Some of his strength renewed, Kit began to send a barage of punches to Killah. Seeing a potential opening, Kit grabbed Killah to send him into the ropes on the other side. Unfortunately, Killah reversed it, sending Kit instead against the ropes. When Kit came back, he incountered a knee to his knee to his stomach as he flipped over it, causing him to land harshly on the ground. gripping his stomach in pain and coughing, Kit tried to figure out what he would do. As he tried to get up, he felt the hard, cold steel of the folding chair hit his back, zapping what ever energy he had left. 

"This kid has no chance against Killah." replied the announcer. "Wouldn't you say so, Vance?" 

"Yes." Vance said, eyeing Kit with some interest. "But I have faith in our little newcomer." _Where have I seen that kid before?_

After Kit had been hit at four times with the chair in his back, he lay on the ground trying to catch his breath. He finally got to a sitting position on his knees when he was again grabbed from behind by Killah, this time being put into a 'sleeper hold'. 

"And Killah's got the sleeper hold locked in." Vance said. "This could be it for the Kid." 

"In case you folks don't know out there, a sleeper can literally cut off your air supply and knock you out." the announcer said. "I don't think little Kit down there has a chance." 

In fact, Kit didn't have a chance. He was already weak and this new submission hold only made him weaker and tired. "Go to sleep!" Killah cried, tightening his grip around the boy's neck. Kit was finding it hard to breath now and the arena was slowly but surely fading from existence. He tried fight back by landing a series of elbows to Killah's midrift, only to have the submission hold get tighter and tighter, shutting his air wave off and causing oxygen to rush to his head. 

Before he knew it, Kit was encased in darkness.   


**Chapter 5 - Rescuing Team**

Things were moving about in the Principal Office. News came from Mouse that an ultimate fighting league had started somewhere on the Net. The sport itself was overly dangerous and illegal and the mere thought that Kit Lan could now be a part of that group sent the staff into an immediate search of the league. Dot sat in her office, contemplating their next move. This was something she knew nothing about. She could handle viruses, she could handle bugs, she could handle games, she could handle all the responsibility that went along with being Command.Com, but she couldn't handle this. Her son had been kidnapped. This had been confirmed earlier when Kit's organizer was found at the scene where he had last been spotted. 

He never went anywhere without it. 

And now rumors were going around that an illegal sport had reared its ugly head once again. Promoters would stoop to anything in order to get fighters in to the league, including kidnapping, something that Dot now had to face. From what Bob, Mouse, and Matrix eluded to, the fights were obviously dangerous and potentially fatal to all those involved. The thought that her son, _her baby_, was now participating in this thing, mostly against his will, was heart wrenching. Dot sighed and went over anything she had learned. 

UFLs were dangerous. The use of weapons surely designed for the sport in order for it to do harm to the participants. A title would only be won if an opponent was deleted. Most of the fighters ate and slept in dark holding cells underneath the arena and were fed the first time they entered and again when they were preparing to fight. Dot shook her head. She couldn't believe there were actually sprites and binomes who paid to see this kind of thing. Matrix hadn't said anything about being involved in one of these matches, but the look he got whenever the UFL came up told Dot he'd been exposed to one while in the games. Bob and Mouse had come across them in the Super Computer, which had been the first system to ban the sport. Bob had arrested a number of promoters for starting a league, kidnapping, and even murder. 

Again Dot sighed. It was like an ongoing battle. When they escaped from one crisis, another was thrusted in their midst. As soon as they gotten rid of the Web creatures, they lost Bob. As soon as they get things under control, they lose Matrix and AndrAIa. Right as they defeat Megabyte and have a restart, Daemon comes into the picture. As soon as Daemon is destroyed, Megabyte comes back. Right as they defeat Megabyte, for the countless time no less, bugs invade the Net. It was a continuing cycle to Dot. It was like every few minutes, they were involved in a war or some family crisis that brought memories of everything they had been through back to the surface. 

It just never stopped. 

A vidwindow brought Dot from her thoughts. "Mouse." the commander replied. "Any news?" 

"Yeah, Sugah." the hacker drawled. "Care to have a pow wow with the rest of the gang?" 

"I'll transfer you now." 

In a few nanos, the Mainframe staff assembled in the command room, waiting for Mouse's word. "Okay folks," she said, making sure she had everyone's attention. "This is the word from the streets. Yes, there is another UFL." Matrix muttered a curse under his breath. "From what Ray found out, the league started in the SC, but moved when it was found out. It's now somewhere in a system called Dudleyville. It's one of those forgotten systems. The runt of the box, if you will. If there was a system to house a UFL, it be Dudleyville." 

"So where does that put us?" Enzo asked, arms folded across his chest. 

"It puts you in grave danger, Hon." Mouse said. "Now, we can't just waltz right in and start knockin' heads. We gotta plan this. These folks have been everywhere, which means if we ain't careful, we'll be had. And then we'll be marks." 

"We can't risk that." Bob said. "Not if Kit's involved." 

"Which we don't know if he is." 

"Okay, so we need a plan." Dot replied. "All right. I'll give you one. We send like two people to Dudleyville to check things out. If...if indeed this is a site for the UFL and if Kit's been taken by these people, we send a bigger group to get him back and then we shut that place down. How's that for a plan?" 

"Can't complain." 

"Sounds pixeliscious to me." 

"I like it." 

"Good plan." 

"It could use some work." 

All eyes turned to the voice of disagreement. Sabrina cleared her throat nervously. "What I meant was, it's a great outline of a plan, but we need to fill it. With...more...stuff." Silence. "It was a good plan!" the girl exclaimed. "Honest!" 

"Sabrina's right." Dot said, much to the girl's relief. "We need more info on this whole thing." 

"Dot, we can't wait around forever, you know." Matrix insisted. "UFLs are not the kind of thing we can sit around and plan for. If we're gonna do something, we gotta do it now. For Kit's sake." 

Dot sighed. She hated this. She wasn't in control in this situation and there was nothing she could do, but come up with a good plan in order to save her son. "All right." she said, reluctantly. "Who wants to go?" 

"I'll go." Matrix said. 

"Me too." Enzo volunteered. 

"Just the two of you?" Bob asked. 

"It's the only way, Bob." AndrAIa replied. "Dot did say we needed a small group at first, just to scout. Besides, the boys can take care of themselves. Can't you, boys?" 

"We'll be all right." Matrix said. 

"Okay then." Dot said. "Let's get to work." 

Within a few microseconds, a solid plan had been formed. Matrix and Enzo would leave Mainframe in one of the Principal Office's ships and head to Dudleyville. Mouse and Ray would be near that part of the Net around the next cycle, but would push it if the boys needed any help. The Matrix brothers would make sure there indeed was a UFL in the system and then find out if Kit was indeed one of the fighters for it. Once it was confirmed, the brothers would send a message to Mouse and Ray, who in turn would contact authorities in the SC and Mainframe. 

It was a plan that really couldn't miss. 

But it would take time. 

Dudleyville was far out in the Net and it would take at least two or three seconds before Matrix and Enzo would reach it. If Kit indeed was in the system, he would have to hold out for a few more seconds, assuming of course...Dot's mind drifted to what if possibilities. What if Kit couldn't hold out a few seconds? What if he had already had his first match and lost? What if he wasn't processing anymore? As much as the answers to those questions were sad, Dot tried not to think about them. She had lost hope more than once in her family members and she resided that she wouldn't do it again. But even she was too worried for words. 

She just hoped he was okay. 

* * * 

Kit awoke with a start and a lot pain. His eyes adjusting to the new darkness that greeted him, he was gently pushed back down. His body ached. His back hurt so much, as did his neck. Putting a hand to his stomach, he let out a strained cough and closed his eyes again. He thought back to the match and how he had lost vision and feeling. Apparently, he had also lost the match. 

"Hey Kit, are you okay?" a voice asked. 

Kit opened his eyes again and turned his head. A worried purple face looked at him in concern and he vaguely remembered the boy. "Roscoe?" he whispered, again trying to sit up. Roscoe pushed him back down and reached for a cup of water. He let Kit drink from it, then put it back down on the ground. "Where...where am I?" 

"You're in my cell." the boy replied. "I brought you back here after the match. I thought you were a goner!" 

"I guess I lost." 

"You lasted against Killah though." the boy replied. "And his submission moves. I don't think I could've done that." 

Kit tried sitting up again, waving Roscoe aside as he tried to push him down again. He sat up on the cot that was obviously Roscoe's bedding and rubbed his forehead. He had a terrible headache and even sitting up made him hurt. "I think I'm okay." Kit said, rubbing his eyes. "Thanks. Hey, how long have you been here?" 

Roscoe shrugged. "Maybe a few minutes." he said. "Possibly an hour." 

"A few minutes to an hour?!" Kit exclaimed. "But how did you survive that long? Especially down here?" 

The boy smiled and reached under his bed. He pulled out a rather large box filled with energy bars and snack treats. "You just gotta know how to handle yourself." he said, handing Kit an energy bar. The two picked out several other items and began eating. Kit admitted he was hungrier than he thought, eating two energy bars and two bags of chips. After he finished his second bag, he sat back at looked at the boy in front of him on the ground. 

"So if you've been here for like six minutes to an hour, how did you get here?" he asked. 

"Well," Roscoe started. "My parents deleted during the Daemon War, so I'm kind of an orphan." 

"Dude, I'm sorry." 

Roscoe shrugged. "Nothing you can do about it." he said. "Anyway, with them gone, I didn't have any family, so I kinda just lived on the streets. Like, the last thing I remember before coming here was I was stealing a piece of bread from this cart and the next thing I know, I wake up in this cell. I've been here ever since." 

"Wow." Kit whispered. "Dude, didn't you like...get scared? I mean, you had no idea where you were or anything." 

"Dude, I was scared shitless." the boy giggled. "I had never been in a fight in my whole life cycle and now I would have to fight every time McMillan wanted me to. But I got used to it. There was this guy I met when I got here and he kinda looked out for me. His name was KD and he was a guardian." 

Upon hearing the name, Kit immediately sat up. "KD, as in Kalyle Daniels?" he asked. Roscoe nodded. 

"Did you know him?" 

"Know him?" Kit exclaimed. "That little son of a null nearly got my system deleted, not to mention tried using me and my family..." 

"Don't say that!" Roscoe cried. "He was my friend!" 

"Friend?" Kit asked, incredulously. "The guy wouldn't know the meaning of the word if..." his voice trailed off mid sentence. "Wait. What do you mean, _did_ I know him?" 

Roscoe looked down at his feet. "He's deleted." he whispered. 

Kit's jaw literally dropped. As much as he hated the young guardian cadet, he wouldn't have wished his deletion. Maybe being beaten up a little, but not murdered. "Dude." he said. "I'm sorry. What happened?" 

"Viper got him." 

Kit remained silent, in respect. It seemed no one was safe from Vance McMillan and his 'business' partners and spectators. Kalyle Daniels may have been annoying and selfish and obnoxious and stubborn, but it didn't warrant his deletion, especially at the hands of the fighters in this group. He hadn't even seen the guy they called Viper, but they name didn't reveal a happy go lucky guy. Besides, he apparently had made a connection with Roscoe and that's all Kit needed to know. 

"What about you?" 

"What?" 

"What about you?" Roscoe repeated. "How'd you get here?" 

"Same way." Kit replied. "I was taking my morning walk and the next thing I know, I'm in here." 

"Where'd you come from?" 

"Ever hear of a place called Mainframe?" Roscoe shook his head. "Well, it's a little system that has some big problems. Anyway, that's where I grew up. I'm attending the Science Institute in the Super Computer." 

"Wow." Roscoe said. "You gotta be pretty smart to go there." 

"I'm just lucky." Kit grinned. "My grandparents were scientists, so I guess I just have it in my codes." 

"Wow." the boy said. "What're you're parents like?" 

"Well," Kit started. "My Dad's awesome. He's..." 

Kit glanced at Roscoe, wondering if he could trust the boy enough. He got up slowly and walked to the cell bars. Peeking out as far as he could, he tried to see if anyone was coming or could hear their conversation. Satisfied they were safe, he walked back to the cot and sat down. He patted the space beside him for Roscoe to sit and the boy left his floor sit and sat next to Kit. "Sorry." Kit whispered. "I had to make sure no one would hear this." 

"How come?" Roscoe asked, curious at his new friend's behavior. 

"See, my Dad's a guardian." Kit continued. "As in Guardian 452." 

Roscoe's eyes nearly bugged out from his head. "As in the guy who defeated Daemon?" he whispered. Kit nodded. "That's your Dad??" 

"Yeah." Kit smiled. "It wasn't just my Dad, you know. Anyway, that's him. And my Mom's the Command.Com of Mainframe. Ever hear the name Matrix?" 

Roscoe thought about it for a nano and then asked, "Weren't they're some famous scientist by the name...?" He looked at Kit, who nodded with a smile. 

"Dude!" he exclaimed and was quickly shushed by Kit. "You're like famous!" he whispered. 

"I'm not famous." Kit chuckled. "I'm just a kid. Abeit, a special kid, but just a kid. Anyway, I was at school and the next thing I know, I'm here." 

"Wow." Roscoe repeated. "Do you think your folks are gonna come for you?" 

"Of course!" Kit cried. He then lowered his voice and gulped. "I hope so. I'd like to think they would, but I bet these guys are total professionals. They wouldn't leave a clue as to where we are right now. Believe me, Roscoe, I'm getting out of here. And I'm gonna get everyone else who wants out too." 

* * * 

Vance sat in his leather chair, counting that night's intake of units. Pretty good night. They had a lot of good matches. The owner especially liked the one between Killah and that new kid, Kit. The kid reminded him of someone, but he just couldn't think of who. In either case, Vance saw some potential in the little boy. Even though he had lost his first match, by submission no less, he still thought the kid could make a pretty good fighter. Most newcomers didn't win their first match anyways. It always took at least a third or even fourth match before they could be real interesting. A knock on the door made Vance look up from his income. 

"Enter." 

The fighter Viper walked and headed for the desk. "You wanted to see me, Vance?" 

"Yeah." McMillan replied, turning his chair to face the big brute. "I hope you were watching the matches tonight." 

"I was." Viper said. "Not much competition if you ask me." 

"Well fortunately, I didn't ask you." Vance retorted. "And in my opinion, which usually goes, I think you have your work cut out for you. Five of those newcomers out there faired pretty well against our biggest and baddest fighters. And most of them were little guys." 

"I can mash them in my teeth." Viper spat. "What's your point?" 

"My point, Mr. Viper," Vance seethed. "Is that you had better be watching carefully. I saw championship material in that ring out there." 

"You must be joking." Viper said, shaking his head. "That Moose I'll understand, but those little guys? RVD got lucky, as did Smash and Roscoe. And that little runt Kit was knocked out by Killah. I don't see any talent in that bunch, Vance." 

"That is why you're a fighter and not a businessman." Vance said simply. "This is why I run the business and you just fight for me. Just keep your eye out. Those four you mentioned might have wonderful careers here, especially that Kit what's his noggin." 

"Why so interested in that piece of null shit?" 

"He reminds me of someone." Vance said, thinking. "Who, I can't think of, but I know something special when I see it and that kid's got something. I don't think he was using every ounce of evil he's got. Behind every baby face, Viper, there's a...well viper ready to strike. Give the boy some time. I think he'll do fine." 

Viper just nodded, silently fuming inside. If Vance thought the kid was so special, wait until _he_ faced him. 

* * * 

Kit remained in Roscoe's cell even after the matches were over and it was time to sleep. The boy even let Kit have his bedding, as he was still healing from the beating he took at the hands of Killah. Kit could've beaten himself up, he was so mad. After he had considerate everything, he told himself he would never be unprepared again and here he was in an illegal sport and the first thing he did was try to be fair. Kit didn't want to use his powers, he still couldn't control them that well anyway, but being here really didn't give him much of a choice. 

In order to survive, he would have to. 

Speaking of surviving, Kit looked down at his new friend as he slept on an extra cot mattress on the floor. Kit couldn't believe he had been here for minutes, even an hour in this place and that Kalyle Daniels had been the first to come to his aid. He shook his head. He still couldn't believe that. KD, the most annoying, obnoxious guardian cadet, had actually had some compassion in his heart to befriend the boy. That brought up loads of questions. Had Daniels actually volunteered to be a fighter in this place or had eh been taken, like the majority of fighters here? That question was hard. On one hand, no self respecting guardian, even a cadet, would ever want to partake in this kind of brutality. On the other hand, this was probably right up Daniels' alley. Kit remembered the look of satisfaction, of pleasure, when Kalyle had single-handedly taken out those bugs on Baudway. 

The look had sent chills up Kit's spine. 

In the event Kalyle had been kidnapped and was forced to participate in this...wretched sport, why didn't anyone come to his aid? Surely the Academy would've been alerted that one of their cadets had been missing for a long period of time. Kit thought about that. Knowing Kalyle Daniels, he probably made as many enemies in the Super Computer has he had made in Mainframe and Turic. They probably had a party upon learning he was missing. That thought made Kit smirk. Looking again at Roscoe, he sighed. He wondered if indeed his family was coming after him and if he could actually come through with his declaration of freeing everyone that was trapped in here. Kit took a deep breath. Yes, he was serious. And yes he would save everyone that needed saving. He couldn't bear leaving Roscoe or Moose or that small boy he had seen when he was leaving for the match down in this User hell. 

He wasn't a Matrix if he let that happen. 

He wouldn't be the son of Bob, Guardian 452, if he left and didn't help.   


**Chapter 6 - Memory Lane**

It was late in the system of Mainframe when a lone ship left its docking bay. Aboard were provisions in case of an emergency and two male sprites. A slight appearance change made sure the two couldn't be easily recognized. The eldest of the two wore all black, boots, pants, shirt, everything. He sported a thin beard and had a pair of shades on top of his head. His companion sat across his co-pilot's seat reading a comic file he had gotten from his youngest nephew. He was dressed in black jeans, a white muscle shirt, and black boots. He wore a black baseball cap, turned backwards, on his head. 

"So how long do you think it'll take us to get to Dudleyville?" Enzo asked, still reading his comic. 

"At least two seconds." his brother replied from the controls. "Three max. I hope we get there in two or less." 

Enzo looked up from his reading material and turned to his brother. "Hey, how bad are these Ultimate Fighting Leagues?" he asked. 

"Bad as it sounds." 

"No, really." he insisted. "How bad?" 

"Think of the worst thing in the Net that has ever happened to you and multiply that by ten." Matrix said. 

"Any experience in one?" his brother asked. 

"Like you wouldn't believe." 

Enzo looked as his brother's face turned cold and his eyes darkened at the memory. Enzo felt bad about asking, but now that he had, he needed to know what happened. He had to know what exactly they were walking in to. "Are you gonna leave me hangin' all night or are you going to tell me?" he asked. 

Matrix rolled his eyes. "Even as an adult, you're annoying as hell." 

"Yeah, I love you too." he retorted. "Story? Please?" 

"All right." the renegade sighed. "Andri and I were still traveling the games when we landed in this system. I'll never forget it..." 

_The system was Grayson, a dirty back water hole that few people lived in and wanted to visit. Two young sprites, not older than 1.5 stood in the middle of town with their dog between them. Matrix sighed as he looked around, already knowing the answer to the question he always asked when they left a game. AndrAIa, sensing her friend's look of disappointment, laid her hand on his arm for comfort. Matrix didn't bother to look over at her. This was hopeless. He had been keeping a mental check of just how many systems they had been dropped off in via a game._

_"Enzo..."_

_"Do. Not. Call. Me. That." Matrix huffed. He sighed, closing his eyes. "Sorry." he mumbled._

_The game sprite just nodded. "So where are we?" she asked, looking around._

_"The bowels of hell." Matrix replied, sarcastically. "Next question."_

_"Should we find some place to sleep?" she asked._

_"Do you want to risk it?"_

_"I'm rather tired." AndrAIa said. "And I bet poor Frisket's starving."_

_The red and yellow dog looked up at his name being said and whined. "I know, boy." Matrix patted the faithful dog on the head. "But we've got very little money right now. I think we've got enough for bedding and food. We'll be stuck here for a while."_

_"Oh boy." AndrAIa said, sarcastically. "Think of all the fun we could have."_

_The renegade grunted and proceeded to a nearby hotel, leaving his two companions in the dust. Both AndrAIa and Frisket looked at each other. "Seems a little down, huh?" she asked. The dog barked a confirmation, then returned staring at his other master with a hard look. "What?" she asked. She looked at the dog again and sighed. "I'll get around to telling him." she continued. "It would just be nice to know where he stood."_

_The trio soon had a small hotel room and some food to eat. AndrAIa noticed Matrix was extremely quiet. She had been noticing his steady decline since that fateful game landed them here. No matter how she tried, he would probably always feel losing that game was his fault. That if he had been stronger, smarter, they wouldn't be in this predicament. Time and time again, she would insist as long as they had each other, they would be okay, but even AndrAIa knew that wasn't the root of the problem. He had left Mainframe defenseless and his sister heartbroken and for that, he would never forgive himself._

_Sometimes she couldn't believe how much he had changed from the innocent little boy she had met five hours ago. Since losing that game, he had become bitter and angry over everything. His outlook on their future was always bleak and he had more or less resigned that they would spend the rest of their lives trapped in the games. But then again, since that time, she had only fallen more in love with the stubborn sprite than when she was a girl. On the outside, he was steeled and cold, but somewhere there was still that little boy that she had fallen head over heels for the first instant they met._

_But steadily, that little boy was being shut out._

_"Any ideas?" she asked, breaking Matrix from his own thoughts._

_The renegade looked up and sighed. He had been thinking of something that could get them out of here, get them back home, but he had given up that dream long ago. Now, they just needed to find an odd job of sorts in order to live in the system for a few seconds, at least until another game. But that's where the problem lay. Matrix did not like the looks of this town and the last thing he wanted was to spend a few seconds, even a few millies here. Glancing again at AndrAIa, he took stock of another problem. He was not about to let AndrAIa out of his sight. Not in this place. He pretended not to notice how beautiful she had gotten over the hours, but he couldn't hide his jealousy when the male sprites gawked at her and tried pining for her. He always insisted he was just looking out for his best friend, but in his heart he knew he had fallen in love with her, something that could ruin their friendship._

_Sighing again, he said, "We need units, no denying that. We're flat broke now."_

_"Okay." the game sprite said. "And how're we gonna get them?"_

_Matrix leaned back on the bed. "I don't know."_

_"We'll think of something." she replied, walking over and sitting next to him. "We always do. We'll just do something quick, easy, and guaranteed to get some units."_

_"Nuh uh." Matrix said, shaking his head. "I'll do something quick, easy, and guaranteed to get some units."_

_AndrAIa sighed. **Not this again,** she thought. "Enzo..."_

_"Will you please stop calling me that?" the renegade huffed._

_"Well, seeing as that's your name, um...no."_

_Matrix balled his fists and stood up. He thought about saying something, but instead he just stormed out of the room, leaving AndrAIa to plop back on the bed. The young sprite wasn't sure where he was going, he just needed some air. He felt as though things were quickly going downhill for them. They never had an argument until they got stuck here and they both knew whose fault it was._

_The teenager blindly went through the alleys and streets of the system, not paying much attention on where he was going. He was going over things in mind, mostly centered on AndrAIa. He loved her more than anything, maybe too much. He just knew being away from her and being without her was just too hard to bear. He had gotten them into this mess, surely he could get them out. He was thinking of what their next move could be when he came across an open door with shouting and cheering coming from it. Stopping, he read the sign on the opened door._

**FIGHTERS WANTED!!**

_Matrix stood staring at the sign. He could use the work out. He had been trying to build up some strength since that game, wanting to be prepared for the next time and the next game. He had never really been a fighter, but he had changed since then. Now it was like he welcomed fighting. He liked being the one that came out on the top, the winner. Besides, this looked like a professional gig, with real professional fighters. Ones that knew what they were doing. He could certainly get some experience, if not anything else. And if not, he could take out some of his pent up frustration._

_Looking at the sign once more, he entered the building._

_"That's when I entered the realm of the UFL." Matrix continued. "It's like nothing you could ever experience, Little Brother. I'm sure when it first started, it was as professional as anything. But somewhere, somehow, it became an energy sport. You couldn't say you were a real UFL fighter if you couldn't prove you'd been through everything they offered..._

_Matrix winced with pain as AndrAIa applied more of the ointment. He had come back to their hotel room battered and bruised. His cybernetic eye, something he had gotten to replace his lost one, was now black and blue. He had scratches and bruises all over the upper part of his body and he was complaining that it was hard to breath. He withered in pain as AndrAIa continued to nurse him, silently going over the speech she had prepared when she had learned of his current job._

_"You're being awful quiet." Matrix said through gritted teeth._

_"I could delete you right now, you know." she said, not looking at him._

_"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were mad at me."_

_"Then I guess you don't know any better." she hissed._

_"Ow!" Matrix exclaimed. "That kinda hurts, you know!"_

_"Then maybe you shouldn't have taken a job where you get your ASCII pounded every second."_

_"Did you have a better idea on how to get some money?" he asked, sarcastically._

_"I have tons of ideas, in case you wanted to consult me on any of them." she retorted._

_"Okay, now what's that supposed to mean?"_

_"Nothing." she said, throwing down the cloth she was using. "You're a big boy now, I'm sure you can take care of yourself, right?"_

_Wiith that, she left the room, Matrix calling after her._

_A few seconds without talking to each other was taking a toll on the two young friends and travelers. Sharing a room and a bed was uncomfortable for both. It seemed like every time they tried talking to each other, they would only start yelling and fighting again, until one of them left and didn't return until the next morning. Matrix had been the one to leave this time, going to his 'job' and taking out his frustrations on some poor kid who wound up in the ring with him. He returned the next morning to find AndrAIa about to leave for some sightseeing._

_"Are you leaving?" he asked._

_"For a few a milliseconds, yes." she answered. She looked at him, on the verge of saying how sorry she was and how worried she got over him, but she stopped herself. "What happens when a game comes?"_

_"You'd wait for me." he said. "Wouldn't you?"_

_He tried to see the emotion on her face, but there was none. She would leave him, just as he always thought would happen. "I'd understand if you left." he whispered, looking down. His breath grew more rapid as he begin to think about trying to find Mainframe without her. "Andri, I'm starting to feel...I'm starting to feel like I'm losing you." he said, unsure of where the statement came from, but knowing it had been in his processor._

_"Enzo..." she whispered, walking over to him._

_"I mean, I wouldn't want to lose you, but..."_

_A kiss to his lips stopped him. They had kissed before, little pecks on the cheek at first. As they grew up, the kisses were small but well placed on each other's lips until finally they began exploring, enjoying the sensation they invoked from one another. Breaking the kiss, they gazed in each other's eyes, both wanting, wishing the other had felt the same thing._

_"Don't leave." AndrrAIa whispered against his lips._

_Matrix, so enamored with her, found it hard to speak. "I...I...have...have to." he said. "I promise one more match. Then we'll have enough to get out of here."_

_"Be careful, Enzo." she said. "Please."_

_Matrix nodded and headed off for another match._

_Matrix walked into the side arena and volunteered for a match. He wanted to get this over and done with it so they could leave and never come back. Lately he had gotten the newcomers, those that had just arrived in the league. They were small and weak, just like Matrix had been. They had been a challenge, just because of their speed, but that was it. He wanted a real opponent for his last match and he got one._

_The Enforcer._

_The Enforcer was at least a foot taller than Matrix, who was still steadily growing. He looked like a biker and even had tattoos all over each arm and had the name of some woman tattooed on his neck. He was a bad looking sprite. He went into the arena and took care of business. That's who Matrix wanted to fight. He wanted a challenge and the Enforcer seemed like one. The two sprites entered the ring and sized each other up. Matrix was beginning to feel a little intimated by the large sprite. It was true he was getting stronger, but he couldn't be as strong as this guy._

_He was starting to regret this._

_The bell was rung and Matrix began to plan his attack. He obviously needed to get the big sprite down to his level, so he instinctively went for the legs. The Enforcer was used to this and just gave a club to the back on Matrix, knocking the teenager down to one knee. The Enforcer just picked him up and began a barrage of punches to the teen's face. After Matrix fell against the ropes, he felt a searing pain rip through his body. The Enforcer had used the weapons option by selecting a 4x4 and striking it against Matrix's back, injuring the sprite's ribs._

_The Enforcer continued beating Matrix with the wooden stick until it broke in half, leaving the teenager struggling for breath. Then came the chair. Matrix could feel the pain in every shot delivered to his side and back. He rolled on the ground, moaning, small tears of pain flowing from his eyes. Then the deadliest weapon. The sledgehammer. The Enforcer cleverly aimed it at Matrix's side, breaking two of his ribs and leaving him crying out in sheer pain. Then the big sprite pulled out a table and placed it in the center of the ring. Picking Matrix off the ground, he placed him on top of it. Then, taking a running speed against the ropes, The Enforcer jumped and landed on Matrix, breaking the table and knocking the young sprite out._

"I woke up in the medical unit of the Principal Office." Matrix finished. "Three cracked ribs, two broken ones..." He sighed and turned to his brother, who was listening intently. "Believe me when I say, Kit is in a lot of trouble if he's indeed involved in this. And I don't want to be the one to bring back a battered nephew or worse." 

Enzo nodded in understanding. "Then step on it." he said. "We have to make Dudleyville in less than two seconds." 

* * * 

Roscoe stretched and yawned. He propped up on his elbows and looked around. Checking the small clock he kept by the wall, he noticed it was still night time, or so he figured. It was so hard knowing the time and second in this place. Even if it was sunny and bright outside, it would always be dark in their underground prison. Most of the fighters had nothing to look forward to anyway, except for their matches. That's how Roscoe had been when he first arrived here. He had lost his parents to the super virus Daemon in their home system of Garamond. He didn't have much going for him, but he managed by himself. 

Until he was brought here. 

It almost seemed like it had happened the other second... 

_He had to be quick. One wrong move and he'd be caught again. Roscoe didn't like that place he had been in. It was scary beyond belief. He was just a little boy. He couldn't remember how long he had been living on the streets of Garamond, but it had been a while. He had been just 0.3 hours old when his parents had been deleted after Daemon's troops had stormed the system. He lived in a run down orphanage for about four hours afterwards, until someone decided to burn the place to the ground. Then he was on the street._

_Sometimes it was hard to know what second was what. He barely remembered his birthday, but he figured he might be 1.3 or 1.4, something like that. He was growing into a man, something he had to learn about on the streets. He had met some nice people in Garamond and some not so nice. The not so nice ones were the ones that wanted to put him in the holding chamber for juveniles. He didn't like that. he had been there once and nearly escaped being tortured and raped. He had managed to crack a window and then he left. He was back on the streets again. He wanted to be like the other little boys and have a home, but that meant finding parents who wanted him._

_And so far, no one did._

_Roscoe inched his way closer to the cart. If he could take that loaf of bread, he'd be able to have breakfast and lunch at least. Right as he almost had it, a hand covered his mouth and began dragging him back into the alley he had just come from. Roscoe did his best to break free, but something in the hand made him drowsy and he soon went to sleep. When he woke up, he was a small cell with a cot. He yelled and screamed that he wanted out and some fat binome had hit him with the end of a rifle. Roscoe had gotten a bruise on his forehead. Soon after that, he and three others were taken to see Vance McMillan._

_The boy had his first fight that night._

_And lost._

_He had gotten beat up pretty badly and wouldn't have made it if it wasn't for Kalyle Daniels. The guardian cadet had been taken around the same time, while scouting systems. He had nursed the teenager and the two became friends. Kalyle told him about the Super Computer and the Guardian Academy and Roscoe just fell in love with it. Kalyle was like the older brother he never had. He had lost his whole family because of a bug situation and he had gotten his revenge. KD had been kidnapped as well and wasn't too surprised when no one came looking for him._

_"The Academy is fun for a while, Kid." he had said. "But when you need them, they're no where to be found."_

Roscoe remembered in sadness his friend. He looked over at Kit, who slept peacefully on the cot. Kit wa his new friend and already Roscoe thought he was cool. He figured he wasn't much older than himself, but he knew Kit had something special. His dad was Guardian 452! His mom was the daughter of the famous scientists! Kit himself was enrolled at the Science Institute! To Roscoe, Kit was just...it. And he had promised to save everybody that needed saving. And for some reason, Roscoe believed him. It was hard not to. When Kit said he would do this, that he would rescue everyone, Roscoe knew it would happen. 

When, was the main question. 

For now, the two boys needed to be tough. Together. As long as they had each other's backs, they could survive in here longer. Roscoe had been in a tough situation since Kalyle's deletion, so much so he hadn't been winning like normally. That's why Vance had sent him back down here to live. Roscoe remembered that. Remembered how Viper had done away with his friend, his family for the time being. Roscoe would get him for that. He couldn't leave until Viper paid for what he did. 

It would be the last thing Roscoe would ever do. 

* * * 

Mouse sat back in her pilot's chair, examining a map in front of her. From where she and Ray were, it would take them a while before they reached Dudleyville. A cycle at least. They couldn't afford that, not when Kit's life could be in danger. Mouse knew from first hand experience UFLs were not kid friendly... 

_Melissa Paige Pact stood in the pouring rain, over looking the grave of her nephew, Louis Script. She couldn't believe he was gone. And in such a horrible way too. He had been deleted, murdered, in one of those ultimate fighting leagues. She didn't know much about them, but she had heard stories. None were pleasant. Once a legitimate sport, it had quickly gone downhill as the most dangerous and deadliest sport in the Super Computer. Fighters were beaten and bruised in matches due to weapons and rumors had it that promoters were kidnapping individuals so they would participate. That's how Louis had gotten there._

_He had been playing in the playground outside his little apartment complex when he was taken. They hadn't heard from him in about four minutes until they got the word he had been deleted. Melissa felt terrible at the news, as she and Louis were close. She had left home to attend the Guardian Academy, everyone saying it would be good for her after losing her father just a few minutes earlier. She had been on a lunch break with some friends when she got the call that her uncle needed to speak with her. Her friend Bob had been nice enough to tell their instructors of the family emergency. Melissa just couldn't believe it. Louie, little Louie, was gone. He would've been one-one that hour and now he was gone._

_She couldn't understand it._

Mouse had never forgot that second. She wasn't about to lose another family member to that despicable group. Mainframe had gone through enough already without the word that Kit Lan, the guardian and commander's son, had been kidnapped and murdered at the hands of some title hungry virus. That got Mouse to thinking. She had heard they would let anyone into the league now, including viruses. As long as it made the company and the promoter money, it didn't matter how absurd it was. Mouse didn't even want to think of Kit being matched up with a Megabyte wannabe. 

The hacker sighed and leaned back. Kit was a big boy and could handle himself. In a game maybe, but nothing like this. If she had to bet, she didn't see the kid getting past his second match, if best. And that thought didn't settle well with her. There was no telling what could be happening in the system right now. She couldn't even imagine how many children were probably trapped in some tiny cell somewhere in Dudleyville, just wanting to return home to their parents and loved ones. She knew the same to be true in Mainframe. Dot Matrix wasn't one to let her emotions show during a crisis, but Mouse knew the young woman was probably out of her processor with worry. As was Bob. The Guardian tried to put on a brave face, much like his wife, but knowing his son was involved in a UFL ~something Bob had experience with, arresting all those promoters and seeing the looks on some children's faces~ Mouse knew her friends needed to know what was happening. 

That, the hacker would see to.   


**Chapter 7 - Welcome to Dudleyville**

"Are you ready to rumble?" 

The voice went through the crowd, putting them on their feet and screaming at the top of their lungs. Kit and Roscoe stood in the area meant for fighters and another second of fighting began. Looking at their fighting roster, the boys noticed they'd be fighting all second long. They had each been given a splendid breakfast, one which Kit had given to the small child in the cell down from his, and then were corralled up to the arena, along with Smash Rally and Moose. Kit stood back, looking at the spectators in the stands. It was morning now, from the sun that shone through a top window, and Kit was able to view at least half of the crowd. 

The majority seated were the citizens that apparently lived here. Just the regulars who went to work in the morning and came home at night. But then again, this was Dudleyville. There was no such thing. Kit could tell these weren't the school teachers or dock workers or even CPUs that Mainframe had. No, these were the bartenders, the bookies, the mobsters...the kind of people who would actually enjoy this sort of sport. And worse, at least in Kit's eyes, were the crowd of wealthy holiday passers, those that only came here to watch a fighting match and who bet a lot of money on the outcome. Whether they won or lost was no matter, as long as they could see energy being spilled in at least one match. 

"Some crowd, huh?" Roscoe asked. 

"Yeah." Kit replied, looking around. "You'd think some people would have better things to do with their time and money." 

"Do you have stuff like this where you're from?" 

Kit shook his head. "We have some decency." he said. 

The second began with a match between a known criminal, Lynkin Park, and a large binome by the name of Pac. The boys watched the brutality of the match, each using various weapons to knock each other senseless. Kit was actually repulsed by the actions of the fighters. He never thought in a million days he'd be witnessing something so barbaric and cruel as this. This kind of thing never happened in Mainframe and if it did, the CPUs would be there to stop it. Besides, his mother would _never_ allow anything like this in the system anyway. The roughest thing about Mainframe was Al's Diner and even _that_ wasn't too bad. 

Kit winced as Lynkin was hit with a metal pipe. "How anyone would want to willingly fight in something like _that_ is unknown to me." he said in disgust. 

"Units are units, Little Man." Moose replied. 

"You mean we actually get paid for this?!" Kit asked incredulously. 

"You think we'd want to go out there and get our ASCIIs kicked and the shit beaten out of us cause we'd enjoy it?" Smash asked sarcastically. "You're not too smart, Science Boy." 

Kit looked at him in suspicion. He didn't tell anyone where he had been except for Roscoe and Roscoe had been with him throughout the second. "If we get good enough, Vance passes out some units." Smash continued. "Then we'll be in league with Spaz and Joey Numbers and Backlash and...man, I can taste that good food and fine women right now." 

"Keep it in your pants, you perv." retorted a voice. 

From behind them stood a medium sized woman, with teal skin and dark brown eyes. Her blond hair was tied in a ponytail and she was leaning against the wall, staring at the sprites in front of her. "Come on, Mandy." Moose said, holding up his hands. "Smash didn't mean anything by it." 

"Like FAQ I didn't." Smash said, glaring at the sprite called Mandy. "A nice tail like Mandy's could get me the respect I deserve." 

"The only kind of respect you deserve is the respect of getting your ASCII kicked." Roscoe joked. 

Smash stepped up to the boy, his one inch hovering over his head, and glared at him. "Think you're funny, huh?" he growled. "Let's see how funny you are when I whipped your ASCII all over that ring out there." 

"Is that a challenge?" Roscoe asked. 

"Stay frosty, Smash." Kit intervened, putting an arm between the two. "Settle this some other time." 

"What? 'Fraid I'll hurt your little boyfriend?" Rally asked, earning a look from both boys. "I'll take both you little shits in the ring at anytime." 

Moose grabbed the small sprite by the neck and turned him so he could see his face. "How bout taking me in the ring at anytime, Smash?" the large sprite asked. Smash gulped and shook his head in protest. "Then how bout leaving people the FAQ alone?" Smash nodded in agreement and Moose let him go. He still gave Kit and Roscoe an evil glare and even goosed Mandy on the way out. 

"Annoying little shit." Mandy cursed, watching the sprite leave. Looking up at Moose, she smiled. "That was pretty nice of you, Aaron." she purred, winking at him and walking over the other side of the area. Moose smiled, watching her walk away. 

"See you boys later." he said, following the teal sprite. 

Roscoe shook his head, a small smile on his face. "I will never understand sprites." he said. "Not to say Mandy isn't pretty or anything, but girls aren't my cup of tea right now." 

"They're not bad." Kit grinned. "You just gotta find the one you'll fall in love with." 

Roscoe raised an eyebrow. "Some experience, huh?" 

Kit giggled. "Nah." he said, blushing a little. "I just hang out with couples all second long. You know, my mom and my dad, my uncle and my aunt, my other uncle and his girlfriend, and these family friends of ours. I'm surrounded by love if you will." 

Roscoe giggled, covering his mouth with his hand in order to keep quiet. 

The first couple of matches were just brutal, in Kit's opinion, and soon it was down to Roscoe's match against a sprite named Alex Cooper, who was the Net Champion. Though the match was a non title match, Kit couldn't help by wonder if his young friend would be able to win a title in this sport. Kit wondered himself if he could win a title belt. it would certainly be something he could brag about and...Kit shook his head violently. What was he thinking?! Of course he didn't want to win a title belt! He didn't want to stay here! He wanted to go home, back to school, back to his family. The last thing he wanted was to start thinking about a life in this place. 

He needed to get out of here. 

He wished they would hurry up and rescue him. 

* * * 

She wished they would hurry. 

Dot had been on pins and needles since the fact her son had been kidnapped was confirmed. She was finding it hard to concentrate on her duties and anything else. She tried pretending this was just another crisis Mainframe would get through, just like the rest, but it didn't do anything to set her mind at ease. This was _not_ like the crises they had before. This was different. In each of those crisis's, she had some advantage in the situation. She knew exactly what they were dealing with and she was able to take a combative and leadership role in each. This was different. 

She had no experience in this. 

Worse yet, there was nothing she _could_ do. She couldn't lead the CPUs into a dangerous stand off with Megabyte. She couldn't take off to another system and come back with information. She couldn't even plan a plan for an oncoming attack. This was one time when Dot had to let all the decisions fall to everyone else. Let the decisions and consequences fall to the staff that worked inside the Principal Office and those out there in the Net. She had to rely on her son's own senses and hope they wouldn't let him ~or her~ down. 

Dot had spent almost the entire incident in her office with her 0.3 hour old twins, Jet and Nikki. The twins instantly knew their mother hadn't been herself lately and did what they could to cheer her up. The three played games in the office and sang silly little songs. But even the twins were aware enough to know that something was very wrong. Their cousin had returned, but not their brother. Finally, Jet had to know. 

"Momma, where Kit?" the small boy asked, while playing with his building blocks. Nikki too looked at their mother, wondering the same thing. 

Dot took in a breath, in order to hold herself together for her children. "He's not here right now." she said. Seeing their confused looks, she continued by saying, "But he'll be here real soon." 

"But where he go?" asked Nikki. 

"He...he got a little lost, Sweetie." she said. "But he'll be back." 

"Where Zo?" Jet asked. 

"And Sparky?" asked Nikki. She was still too young to pronounce 'Matrix' and in a slip provided by AndrAIa, the girl now called her uncle by his nickname, one in which he hated. 

"They went to go get him." Dot said, nodding. She didn't want to lie, but she couldn't exactly tell them what was really happening. "And they'll be back. Promise." 

"Okay!" Jet cried, happy with the answer. 

"Okay!" repeated Nikki, who went back to playing with her doll. 

Dot smiled, watching as her children seemed content with the answer. She wasn't sure why, but just seeing them reminded her of Kit and how when he was compiling up they would play in her office. Something in the memory started the floodgates and before she knew it, she was crying. She hadn't meant to, it just happened. Nikki and Jet, startled at seeing their mother cry, rushed over and tried to console her as best they could. That just made her cry harder. Finally, Jet left his sister to watch the distraught sprite and went in search of his father. 

The boy found his father standing and talking to AndrAIa and Alex about course they would take as soon as word came from Matrix and Enzo. Jet stood next to his father and started to pull on his pants leg. "So I was thinking," Bob was saying. "That we should be able to...plan...this...yes?" 

"Momma crying, Daddy." Jet replied, as soon as he had gotten his father's attention. 

"Huh?" Bob asked. 

"Momma crying." Jet repeated. 

"Why?" Alex asked in concern. Jet just shrugged his shoulders. 

"I'd better..." Bob started, and the girls just nodded in response. 

Taking his son's hand, Bob had the boy lead him to Dot's office. When he walked in, his wife was indeed in tears, holding their daughter in her arms as she rocked back and forth. Bob quickly rushed to her side, alarmed at the usually composed leader, who was now a crying ball of mess. "Dot? Sweetie?" Bob whispered, disengaging Nikki and taking Dot in his arms. Dot continued to cry, but hugged Bob tightly, burying her head in his shoulder blade. "Why don't you two go find Phong, huh?" Bob asked, glancing at the two confused children. At first they didn't move, not wanting to leave their mother, who was obviously upset, but finally Jet elbowed his sister and the two went to go find the System Administrator. 

"Dot?" Bob asked again. 

"I'm sorry, Bob." Dot sobbed. "I should be more composed, but..." 

"Shhh." he soothed. "We've been in a weird funk all cycle. I miss him too, but he's fine. And he's coming home, Dot." 

Dot wiped her eyes with her hands and sighed. "I know." she said. "I just hate this. We're not even in control..." 

"I know." Bob replied. "But it doesn't mean Kit isn't. He's a good kid and he can take care of himself. Whatever kind of danger he's in, he'll make it out." 

"How bad are these things? These leagues?" 

"Bad." Bob whispered. "But if anyone's gonna make it out of one, it's our son." 

"I hope you're right." she said. _Dear User, I hope you're right._

* * * 

The second was long and tedious and was making those fighters who had fought extremely tired. Rosoce was tied at having won a match and losing one. Kit had just won his first match and was getting ready for his second. He was a small back room preparing for his next fight, when a five numeral casually walked in. "You Kit?" it asked. The boy nodded. "Lucky you." it continued. "You're headlining tonight in a main event." 

"I'm what?" Kit asked. 

"You're in a match." The five then smiled sadistically. "With Viper. Non title. Good luck." With that, the numeral left the room. 

Kit was completely dumbfounded. He was now going to be fighting for his life. He had already had one fight, he was heading off to another, and now, the UFL Champion wanted to fight him in the main event, headlining bout, without the title on the line. The teen shook his head. He couldn't be thinking about this now. He had a match to win. He headed out into the fighter area and waited for his name to be called. 

"Howdy folks!" cried the announcer. "Time to get ready for our next match, but first, this just in from the boys in the press room. We've got a great main event tonight. The Web Champion, Viper, will go head to head against the newcomer Kit!" The crowd screamed in joy and pleasure. "Now entering the ring, he weighs 347 pounds, from the cold hard Web, Trance!" 

The fighter known as Trance walked into the ring. He looked like a code master, except more bug like in appearance. He was at least six feet tall and green with pink scales. Kit shook his head. He didn't much like anywhere, especially something like this, where code masters would be allowed to fight. "His opponent will be in tonight's main event!" called the announcer. "A newcomer, KIT!" Most of the crowd booed, but some cheered for the boy. Standing in the ring with Trance, Kit felt incredibly uneasy. It felt like he was walking into an unknown situation that could possibly cost him. 

"_You_ are my opponent?" Trance slithered. 

"Yeah." Kit replied. "I'm also the winner, so get used to it." 

Trance cackled and ran straight for the teen. Kit used the beast's momentum to lunch him into the ropes and then do a 'German' suplex on him. Once down, Kit quickly started to punch the alien in the face. He got up and circled Trance. Trance too got up and stared angrily at the teen. Kit squirmed as the grotesque looking thing stared at him. "Stop staring!" he exclaimed, getting in a fighting stance. Trance just smiled and closed his eyes. Kit's eyes bugged as he watched Trance transform. A small white light glistened over him as he began to take shape. His arms became sprite like, as did his legs, and his height shrank to that of an average sprite. His face and hair changed and when he was done, he smirked at Kit. 

"What the...?" 

Standing before him was Robert Packard, his grandfather. 

With Kit contained by shock, Packard's arm extended. "Come here!" he exclaimed, as a steel rope and claw shot from his hand. The claw grabbed Kit around his neck and dragged him back towards Packard, where the blue sprite delivered a hard uppercut, sending Kit to the other side of the ring. Kit struggled to stand, but felt a swift kick being sent to his stomach. Packard grabbed the boy by the back of his neck and hoisted him against the wall near an ax. "Are you prepared to die, Kit?" he asked. "You and your father are deleted to me. You could've been great, but no. You let your hopes and dreams suffer for love of family. You're just as bad as your grandmother." 

Something in Kit snapped. It was like Turic all over again. He never forgot how angry Kalyle had made him. That crack about his mother was uncalled for, like he didn't even care she could've deleted in that very bed. He had been surprised that he could even do that to harm someone, which in a way had been the intention, but he never would've done it on purpose. But this time, just seeing Packard, made the boy angrier than he had been in that make shift hospital. A little piece of him knew this wasn't the real Robert Packard, but his overall sense of vengance couldn't comprehend that. Forming a ball of energy right hand, Kit aimed for the impostor's stomach. Letting it go, Packard went flying in the opposite direction, in an exact replay of what he had done to Kit. 

Shaken and hurt, Trance transformed back into his regular form, as he tried to steady his breath. "A Trojan Horse, huh?" Kit asked, walking towards the creature on the ground. "I should've realized. But what I want to know is, how can you be a code master and be a Trojan Horse virus?" 

"Because..." Trance replied, looking down. In a swift movement, He turned and sprayed something green in Kit's face. Blinded, Kit did his best to stay away from the monster, but was unlucky. Trance landed a punch to the boy's gut and did a leg sweep, taking Kit to the ground. Standing over the boy, Trance changed again, this time into a medium sized virus. His coloring was still the same, but the facial features of a code master were gone, replaced by a much more buggish appearance. 

"I am a virus." He chuckled. 

Kit managed to remove most of the blinding poison from his eyes, in order to see Trance grabbing what looked like a spear from the adjacent wall. It was long and black, with spearheads on each end. Kit quickly rolled and ran to the other side, hoping to retrieve a weapon of his own. The spear nearly missed his head and jammed in the wall in front of him. The teen looked back at the virus approaching him and decided to fight. 

Kit tried to kick the virus in the side, but Trance caught his leg. Kit none the less, delivered a round house kick to the face with his other foot, knocking the virus back. Kit then used his weight to administer a 'belly to belly' suplex, taking the virus and flipping him over his head and to the floor. But Trance wouldn't stay down. As soon as he hit the floor, he was back up and attacking Kit from behind. The boy stumbled forward, but was back up and elbowed the virus. Trance tried to get bring the boy towards the hanging spear by bringing him towards the ropes, but Kit reversed. Trance easily brought himself to a stop and turned to face Kit. Kit, on the other hand, was not going to waste a perfect opportunity. Using both hands, the boy shot a massive energy ball towards the virus, pushing him into the hanging spear. 

Kit was shocked. He had never purposefully deleted anyone before. And the scene was just horrible. Trance stood in a pained daze, the front half of the spear protruding through his chest, his red energy slowly dripping from the metal tip. Trance looked at the boy and reached out his hand. "Please boy." he gurgled. "Help me." Kit was saddened by the look he was getting. And he felt extremely remorseful. But he shook his head. _It was either him or me,_ he thought. "Please boy." the virus said again. "Mercy on me." 

"Mercy?" Kit smirked. "To a virus? Never." 

Raising his arm, Kit quickly ended the match. 

* * * 

"We're making good time." 

Matrix and Enzo sat in the cockpit area of their little ship. Pushing it as fast as possible, the boys were nearing their destination of Dudleyville. They hadn't heard from Mouse or anyone in Mainframe since their departure, but even if they had, they might not have taken the call. They were pushing the speed barrier in order to reach Dudleyville by night. "So we should be there like tonight?" Enzo asked, munching on an energy bar. 

"Possibly." Matrix muttered. "I'm hoping we will. No telling what kind of danger Kit's in right now." 

"Hey, this is Kit we're talking about." Enzo said, a smile on his face. "If anyone's gonna get out of this, it's our Kit." 

"You're way too optimistic, Little Bro." 

"Well, I am the upbeat and optimistic one." Enzo joked. 

"Actually, AndrAIa is the upbeat and optimistic one." Matrix retorted. "You're the annoying one." 

"Ha ha." 

The two settled back into their flight. Both were thinking about their arrival in the down trodden system. How would they know where to even _find_ the UFL? And when they did, how would they get in? They certainly just couldn't walk in and take Kit and leave. They needed to plan something before they reached the system. The prospect of that just seemed to make the trip even more depressing. Dot was the planner in the Matrix family, as was Kit, but neither of them were there at the moment, so it meant the planning would be left to the brothers. 

"Make sure you change your icon." Matrix suggested. 

"What for?" his brother asked, switching his guardian colors to game sprite mode. 

"Because they aren't gonna take us too kindly if they see guardians walking into the system." Matrix said. "They were the first to ban the sport." 

"Yeah." Enzo was quiet for a nano and then said, "Hey. I've been thinking." 

"That would explain the beads of sweat." Matrix teased. 

"You know, Bro," he said, grinning. "There are certain things you're good at. Humor is not one of them." 

Matrix shot him a dirty look. 

"As I was saying, I was thinking." the young guardian repeated. "You know we're gonna need a plan of action here. We didn't actually think of one before we left." 

"That's a bit of a problem." Matrix replied. 

"I know." Enzo nodded. "We're not the planners of the family. But as long as Dot and Kit and even AndrAIa and Alex aren't here, we'll have to think of something." 

"Well, I've been thinking of that." 

"That would explain the smoke." 

"I'm going to find a remote system and leave you there." Matrix growled. "Now shut up. I've been thinking about that, hence why we've changed our icons to game sprite mode. We're gonna pose as fighters in order to get to Kit. As soon as it's safe, we're busting out there and bringing the place down as we do." 

"Hey, that ain't bad." Enzo said. 

"I know." Matrix replied. "That's why I'm the oldest." 

"Actually, Dot's the oldest." his brother corrected. "You're just the obnoxious, annoying one." 

"Is that a remote system up ahead?" 

"Still not funny." 

* * * 

The last match of the second. 

The main event. 

Viper vs. Kit. 

Kit paced in the fighter's area, not wanting to go out there. He was still bothered by his earlier actions with Trance and now to be thrusted into a match he didn't even want to participate in...Every now and then, he would look at Roscoe, who just looked at his new friend in sympathy. Roscoe had already lost a friend and now he would lose another. Kit could see the boy looked like he was going to cry, but was being brave about it. Kit didn't blame him. 

He wanted to cry too. 

This wasn't just a big match, this was a match that could potentially spell his fate and doom in this very arena. He just wasn't looking forward to it. He started shaking when the announcer called Viper's name and the large sprite emerged, with Vance McMillan cheering him on from ringside. Kit gulped as he heard his name and he timidly headed into the ring. The fighters backstage all felt a twinge of sympathy for the boy, even Smash, who knew this would be the boy's last fight. Even still, the small binome still couldn't help by smile at that fact. With that little upstart out of the way, he would advance and become the applet of Vance McMillan's eye. 

This was it. 

Kit blew out the breath he'd been holding since entering the ring. Looking at Viper, the teen knew he was in trouble. The sprite just grinned and smirked at the boy, coming closer to him. "So you're the little FAQ with special treatment, huh?" Viper asked, hovering above Kit. "Vance seems to think you're a high commodity. I'm here to tell you're out of your league." Kit backed away from the giant and ran towards the ropes. Bounding off, Kit flew in the air, hoping to knock the big sprite down. All Viper did was catch the boy mid-flight. Holding the boy, Viper flipped him over ~something known as a fallaway slam~ and Kit went sailing in the air. 

He hit the ground with a thud and tried rolling out of the way. Back on his feet, Kit grabbed the first thing that hit his hand. The kendo stick. With Viper standing right in front of him, Kit cracked the stick into Viper's side. The stick broke. Viper just chuckled before picking Kit up by the neck. The teen struggled to get free, kicking this way and that. Viper just threw him up against the wall, Kit's back hitting squarely against it. He fell to the ground, groaning in pain. Viper saw the weakness and pounded on Kit's back with his foot. 

Viper then proceeded to prance around the arena, basking in the crowd's cheering and even their booing. He loved being in this business. Where else could you hear a crowd of 1,000 at least, cheering and booing and calling your name. You were a legend and a star. The pay wasn't bad either, well once you hit the top. And that's where Viper was. And he wasn't about to let some little uppity shit like this Kit kid take that from him. Turning, he saw Kit struggling to get to his feet. Kit shot a random ball of energy, missing Viper by a mile. Now he was angry. Grabbing the boy by his hair, Viper lifted him up and gave him a 'back breaker', cracking the boy's back on his large knee. 

Kit cried out in pain, his back screaming in agony. The boy knew he was in extreme trouble now. If he thought Killah had been a challenge, he was wrong. Deleted wrong. Viper looked at the boy and smiled. Looking around, he found approval from the audience. He again picked up the boy, lifting him in his arms and administering a bear hug, his hands right in the middle of his back. Kit screamed from the pain his back was already in and now the added squeezing was only causing more damage. It was also draining the little energy he had left. It just wasn't fair. After fighting in two matches, he had to go against the Champion of the UFL. And he was beginning to realize this would be his big downfall. 

But two sprites in the back weren't about to have that. 

"You ain't so tough now, are you baby face?" Viper sneered, applying more pressure to Kit's back. "You think kissing Vance's ASCII's gonna get you in with the big boys? Fat chance, little man. But don't worry. I'll be more than happy to teach you a lesson." At the last four words, Viper tightened his grip. 

Kit's energy supply was about wiped out. He thought he could get one last energy ball, but he knew it would probably be his last. He secretly tried to gain the energy he needed, but Viper's grip stopped him. "I ain't falling for you little light show either." he said. Kit was getting extremely dizzy, much worse than the 'killamission' that Killah had placed on him a few seconds earlier when he arrived. He tried one last time to form a ball of energy and got a small one. 

He aimed it at Viper's side and he immediately let the boy go. Kit dropped to the ground and rested. He knew he didn't have long before Viper came after him again, so he tried to gain as much strength as possible. As Viper cae nearer, he aimed the ball he had formed at his face, the blast catching him in the eye. If Kit wanted to win, more importantly live, he needed to get up. Now. But it seemed someone came to his rescue. As Kit looked up, he saw a young, green skinned sprite checking Viper as he went around in blinded circles. When his hands were moved, the green sprite delivered a standing kick to the face. As Viper stumbled back and turned, another green sprite, this one much heftier than his partner, delivered a well placed 'clothesline' to the giant sprite's neck. 

Viper was down and out. 

Kit stood as he saw the two newcomers. "All I gotta say is, it's about time."   


**Chapter 8 - Phase One Complete**

Viper was livid. 

He had never lost match before. Even when he first started, he quickly rose to the top. And now his great record of 45 wins was tarnished. In future matches, it would always be 45 wins and 1 loss. He was currently ranting, raving, and rampaging through Vance's office, throwing chairs and breaking various vases and glasses and tables. Vance just sat in his leather chair, watching the whole event. He knew the kid had potential, but even he couldn't have predicted an upset like this. And now he wanted Kit on a permanent basis. Those light beams he shot from his hands were interesting. He thought the term was 'savant', someone who could use powers in any circumstance. Vance knew he had pegged a winner. 

"Calm down." he said, as Viper smashed another very expensive vase. 

"Calm down!?" the giant sprite sputtered. "Calm down!?" 

"You're still the best in the business, Viper." Vance replied. "Are you really going to let some little kid take that away from you?" 

"You should've disqualified him!" Viper shouted. "That was interference! And those...beams things or whatever the FAQ they are nearly blinded me." 

"All's fair in war and fighting, Viper." Vance chuckled. "You know that." 

Viper stared hard at his boss. "You don't give a shit, do you?" he asked. "You wanted that little FAQ to beat me, huh?" 

"Now you're being paranoid." Vance said. "Look, don't let this get to you. I promise there's a rematch in it for you and...you'll get your hands on those two sprites that helped him. You think anyone's going to care that you have one loss compared to forty-eight wins?" 

Viper seemed to calm after this. He was still pissed, but he was a bit calmer. "Rematch, huh?" 

"Promise." Vance replied. "And I guarantee, you'll put another win under your belt." 

* * * 

"Man, you have no idea how glad I am to see you two." 

Roscoe, Kit, and the newly arrived Matrix brothers all stood inside Kit's cell. After the match, the four quickly headed back downstairs to regroup. After Kit assured everyone he was all right, the four began to discuss future plans. "Save the rejoicing for when we get the FAQ out of here." Matrix said, looking around. 

"First things first." Kit started. "Thanks for saving my bitmap out there." 

"Consider it an early birthday gift, nephew." Enzo joked. "Besides, Dot would delete us if anything had happened to you." 

"Look," Matrix said. "I'm thinking we wait until very very late and we bust out of here. All three of us." 

"Correction." Kit replied. "All four of us and anyone else who needs to get out of here." 

"Hold up, Little Man." Enzo said. "We don't have enough room to put _everyone_ in our dinky little ship." 

"Then we'll make room." Kit insisted. "I'm not leaving until everyone is out of this...place. And I use the term very loosely." 

Matrix and Enzo looked at each other. He was as bad as his mother. It seemed being stubborn was another Matrix trait. Matrix sighed and said, "All right. We'll get as many people out of here as possible." Kit nodded. 

"So you guys got a plan?" Roscoe asked. 

"Well..." Enzo started. "Phase one is complete." 

"Huh?" 

"That means they haven't gotten past phase one." Kit joked. 

"Hey, you plan and we carry it out." Enzo retorted. "That's the set schedule." 

"Well, right now the goal is stay clear of Viper." Kit sighed. "I don't think he's too happy with me." 

"That's an understatement." Roscoe muttered. 

"Secondly, we gotta find out how many people we're rescuing." the teen continued. "There are some people who just _love_ it here." 

"Then all we can do is wait." Matrix mumbled. 

Later in the night, the group split up for sleeping arrangements, with Kit and Enzo in one cell and Matrix and Roscoe in Roscoe's cell. Kit just paced his small cell, while Enzo watched him in concern. Right as he was going to ask what was wrong, Kit spoke. "Enzo, do you ever think that you've been shut out?" 

"How do you mean?" Enzo asked. 

"Like life as we know it is on a totally different atmosphere than other places." Kit continued. 

Enzo shook his head in confusion. "You've lost me." 

Kit stopped his pacing and stared at the opposite. "Do you think we've been sheltered?" he asked. "Do you think we missed out on certain things living in Mainframe?" 

"I'm not sure I know where you're going with this, Kit." 

"Ever since I arrived here...or rather, was brought here, I've seen a new side to the Net." Kit began. "A dirty, filthy, low life side. The point is, I had no idea any of this existed. I had no idea this was how some systems on the Net are and how some people prefer it that way. I'm just asking...wondering really, if you've ever felt like Mom or Dad have been blocking you from the real Net." 

"Kit, first of all, I have no idea where this coming from." Enzo replied. "And secondly, Bob and Dot did everything in their power to make sure we didn't have to go through the same things like they had to, like Matrix and AndrAIa had to." 

"I know." Kit sighed. "And I'm certainly not knocking their parental skills, but..." 

"But what?" 

"But..." Kit tried to think of what he was saying and having serious trouble. "I deleted someone today." 

"What?" Enzo asked, surprised and rather alarmed. 

"A virus, but it was still someone...or something I guess." he continued. "Anyway, I deleted him or it, I don't know. But I've seen a lot of beatings and deletions this cycle, so many that I've started relying on my powers to get out. I've just been thinking that, there's so much of the Net that I don't know and don't even want to know after this, but I'm not prepared for it. I wasn't prepared when the bugs came and I wasn't prepared for Mom almost deleting. I know Mom and Dad worry about my safety and all, but crash! I didn't even know about my powers until I was older and even still I didn't learn how to control until just recently." Kit was quiet for a few, then whispered, "I bet I could've handled Viper just fine." 

"Ha!" Enzo snorted and then quickly covered his mouth. 

Kit grinned, sadly. "I know." he said. "I'm just like Mom. I'm not the fighter. I'm the planner. I'm more of good use thinking up strategic maneuvers then going head to head in battle. Sabrina could've taken Viper and it's sad. Not because she's a girl, but... no, it is because she's a girl. And I'm not one to say girls can't fight, but...cursors! I shouldn't have to rely on backup every time I need to defend myself. I just...I don't know. I'm venting I guess and I should be the last person to say we haven't had our share of system crashes, cause we have. More than once." 

Enzo looked at his nephew. This was certainly a new side to Kit than he had ever noticed and it was the UFL to blame. Kit wasn't at all someone who would rush into a fight. That was Matrix. Maybe even Sabrina, but not Kit. The very fact that in the span of a cycle, Kit had witnessed so much in his short 1.4 hours was depressing. This had been the kind of thing Dot and Bob had tried to keep him away from and here it was happening. It almost felt like Matrix all over again. Even Enzo knew he had seen too much to really be innocent. And now that innocence had been taken from Kit. 

It seemed like the last of the innocence was slowly being drained from all the Matrix and Mainframe family. 

* * * 

"Are we really gonna get out of here, Mr. Matrix, sir?" 

Matrix sat in a corner, looking out the cell door. He was trying to find a weak spot or something that would enable them to escape. So far, all he was seeing was metal and steel. "If I say we're getting out," Matrix replied. "We're getting out. And it's just Matrix." 

"Cool." said the boy. 

Roscoe sat on his cot, absently swinging his legs back and forth. Matrix glanced at him and decided to be the generous, courteous, and helpful sprite his family kept telling him to be. "So where you from?" he asked. Roscoe popped his head up and looked at the renegade. 

"A system called Desktop." he replied fondly. "Lived there all my life, well until I ended up here." 

"What about your parents?" Matrix asked. 

Roscoe looked down at the floor. "They're deleted." he whispered. 

_Smooth move, Matrix._ "I know what that's like." Matrix replied in sympathy. 

"Yeah, Kit told me." Roscoe said. "That your parents had an accident and deleted. I'm sorry." 

"It happened a long time ago, Kid." Matrix sighed. "You get used to it over time. But thanks just the same." 

"So you been in here long?" 

Roscoe just nodded. "A real long time." he whispered. "And I wanna help you guys. I wanna help you guys get out and help everyone else who wants to get out." 

"That's real noble, kid, but..." 

"I can do it, you know." Roscoe said matter of factly. "Believe me, I don't like it here anymore than you guys do." 

Matrix studied the young boy for a nano, remembering something in his own past. He remembered how determined he had been to escape the games and when the reality became more and more hopeless, he began losing hope as well. But every time a new possibility presented itself, his hope was renewed. The renegade could tell the boy had obviously gone through some hard times, being in the league being the worst of everything. Matrix nodded and gave the boy a grin. "Sure kid." he said. "The four of us are getting a rescue mission underway." 

The next morning, the four conspirators were lined up and taken up to the arena for another second of fighting. It wasn't until they saw the scheduled fights that they realized Kit and Roscoe weren't fighting. It was Enzo and Matrix's debut in the UFL and first up was Enzo vs. Spaz. The referee, the only one who had actually entered before the fights, made the announcement. "The next match is slated for one fall, either by knock-out or deletion." he began. "Entering first, he weighs at 247 pounds. Being accompanied by Matrix and Kit, ENZO!" 

"I'm going to have a lengthy talk with that referee." Enzo whispered to his companions as they entered the arena. 

"You mean about not being around and ruling these matches in the official capacity that he should be doing?" Kit asked. "Or how he just be protesting the kind of conditions the fighters and newcomers reside in and the kind of food they receive, when or if they receive it? Or the fact that he should be condemning the very nature and debauching of a once honored sport?" 

"No, but those are good reasons." Enzo replied. "I was just going to him about the weight thing. I am not 247 pounds!" 

Both Kit and Matrix looked at the young guardian. 

"Well, I'm not!" Enzo protested. "I mean, really! Do you really think I look like I'm 247 pounds? 235 maybe, 228 at least, but certainly not 247." 

Music in the background started as the referee announced the opponent. "And his opponent, weighing 225 pounds. He is accompanied by Diamond Dan Dreski and Asia, SPAZ!" Spaz came out to roaring applause, along with a peach skinned sprite with black hair. He wore an opened purple silk shirt and black leather pants. His companion was a muscular woman, about the size of Matrix and just as tough. She was a light brown with blondish-red hair hanging over her shoulders. Spaz strutted in the ring, glaring at Enzo and his posse. Enzo for his part, just sized up the small sprite, looking for any weaknesses he might have. Already he figured this Spaz character was too cocky to put up much of a fight. 

"You picked the wrong sprite to mess with." Spaz taunted, hopping from leg to leg. 

"Oh yeah?" Enzo asked. "Which sprite have I offended?" 

"I'm good friends with Viper you know." 

"You didn't pick your friends too well." 

"You let your mouth do the talking?" 

"You let your monkey over there do the fighting?" Enzo retorted, pointing to Asia. 

Spaz grew angry at the comment and charged at Enzo. The young guardian merely sidestepped the move and Spaz went plowing into the ropes and wall. "You should really watch where you're going." Enzo remarked. Spaz untangled himself and went after Enzo again. The two exchanged punches, but Enzo got the upper hand. Faking a throw to the ropes, the young guardian captured Spaz in a suplex. He next delivered a hip toss and tossed Spaz on his bitmap. Undaunted, the small sprite jumped back up and delivered a kick to Enzo's midsection, followed by a back heel kick to the face. 

Enzo staggered back towards the ropes, disoriented. Despite this, he was able to see Spaz coming for him and easily ducked out of the way. The young guardian delivered a quick punch and then another. He then ran towards the ropes, hoping to catch the fighter off guard. Unfortunately, Spaz saw through the plan. He caught Enzo as he was coming, lifted him, and fell backwards, planting Enzo face first on the floor. Enzo kicked in pain and was submitted to a plethora of kicks to his stomach. On the second round, Enzo was able to grab Spaz's leg and give him a dragonscrew, taking the fighter down. He then got up and looked around for a weapon. 

Spaz, too, got up and went after the guardian. Enzo ran towards the ropes and wall and was able to do a backflip, using the wall as a springboard, to get behind Spaz and give him a kick to the rips. He followed up with another suplex. "This newcomer Enzo is looking very good, folks." The announcer replied. "He got Spaz into the suplex and it looks like he's setting up for his special." Enzo was indeed stalking the confused and beaten Spaz. When the fighter got up, Enzo hit the super kick, knocking Spaz out cold. "And there you have it!" The announcer exclaimed. "Newcomer Enzo gets the win with a move he calls 'The Exclamation Point'!" Kit and Matrix looked at the young guardian, who just smiled and shrugged.   


**Chapter 9 - Jailbreak**

It was still quiet in Mainframe. Past downtime, most of the city was now in bed, resting peacefully. Even Al's, which was the only all night bar in town had closed early and all the riffraff and drunks headed home in order to drink some more or to get rid of their hangovers. Activity in the Principal Office was also quiet. With Enzo and Matrix both gone, Alex, AndrAIa, and Sabrina decided to make a big slumber party out of the absence and set up shop in the P.O. quarters. Phong had long gone to bed, but told the girls if anything popped up later to inform him immediately. The elderly sprite himself was too preoccupied to get actual sleep, but he would much rather be in his quarters then sitting up and listening to girl talk all night. 

He still couldn't believe what they had gone through already. He too, was feeling the ever constant persistence of evil that came to the system. He thought the problems couldn't get worse when the Twin City was destroyed and left Mainframe with two viruses, but after all the hours of his living in Mainframe, it seemed their problems only grew and grew. First the Web invasion, then Bob being sent to the darkened whole, and then Megabyte's tyranny. Then Matrix and AndrAIa get taken by the games and then the system crashing. The system restart seemed to signal a new beginning for the system, but it wasn't to be. 

They needed to face off against Daemon, the super virus. 

Phong could still remember the second the guardian and the renegade had told him about the dreaded virus. It was bad enough to go against someone like Megabyte, but a super virus?? Phong himself didn't even think they existed, more less took over complete systems for total Net domination! But that was just outside interference. The real problem had been between the staff itself. Bob and Dot weren't speaking to each, Matrix and Enzo weren't speaking to each other, things that could happen were. After the Daemon War ended, it actually seemed the system would be spared anymore tragedies. Bob and Dot got married and had Kit, and then the twins. Matrix and AndrAIa too were married and had Sabrina and Chip. Enzo fulfilled his dream of becoming a guardian and was now one of the system's protectors. Things had been wonderful so far. 

Until recently. 

The return of a Web based Megabyte only made things worse for the Matrix siblings, then the incident with the bugs and the Matrix doctors' work, and the thing with Bob's estranged father returning and now this. Phong was still upset over the turn of events. Young Christopher had been kidnapped and was probably being forced to submit to the horrors of the sport known as a UFL. Phong shook his head. Horrible. Disgusting. The fact that a sprite would put another in such danger and for entertainment too, was just sickening. Phong couldn't understand any of it. It might have been entertainment for some, but he was a simple sprite who believed in the simple pleasures of life and those simple pleasure did not include the exploitation of the Net and the sprites and binomes in it. 

He hoped they could make it out safely and return home. 

* * * 

Bob threw himself on the couch and sighed. He had finally managed to calm Dot down and assure his children that number one: Their mother was all right, just a little tired and bit phased out and number two: That their brother was making his way home at that very moment. It had been a large task, but he had done it. Now Dot and the twins were sleeping peacefully, just like the rest of the system. 

Bob laid back and looked up at the ceiling. He hated not being able to accompany Matrix and Enzo to Dudleyville, Kit was his son after all, but he had to stay in Mainframe. It wouldn't do the system any good if all three of their guardians were gone, with only a cadet to watch after them. It gave a sense of an eerie and ironic parallel of Megaframe and he was sure Matrix had the same thoughts. They couldn't let that happen again, no matter how much they weren't in that much peril from Hexadecimal, but still, it was a chance they didn't want to take. Thinking of the chaotic virus always made Bob think of her brother. Her long _deleted_ brother. As much as he didn't want the power virus deleted, the guardian actually felt better knowing that Megabyte would never return. Ever. 

The guardian sat up and sighed. His processor was still wishing he could've gone to Dudleyville, but it also knew he had his own responsibilities. Especially to Dot and the twins. It would devastating, to say the least, if none of them returned. If Kit had been deleted and he, Matrix, and Enzo were discovered, their lives would be ruined, not to mention that of Mainframe's, as their guardians were now gone. It had happened before and the system had been at the mercy of a power hungry and destructive virus. Bob wouldn't let that happen again, he swore it. But now, things were different. His son was in danger. He knew Dot felt the same way. Their son was in danger and there was nothing the two of them could do in order to save him. The best way was to obviously stay in the system and wait for instructions from Matrix and Enzo. Bob didn't know if he could actually wait that long in order to find out what was happening. The urge to just portal himself to the dreaded system was starting to overwhelm him, but he resisted the longing. 

"You still up?" came a voice. 

Bob just nodded, as he felt the couch shift as someone sat down next to him. 

"I can't get to sleep." he whispered. He turned and asked, "Are you okay?" 

Dot gave a small smile. "I've been worse, as you well know." she said. "I just got a little stressed it seems. I didn't mean to fall apart like that, especially not in front of Nikki and Jet." 

"You're forgiven." Bob replied, kissing her cheek. He placed an arm around her and the two settled back into the comfort of their sofa. "Everything's gonna be okay, Dot." he whispered. "I promise." 

"I know." she replied. "Kit's a big boy now. He can take care of himself." 

"And Matrix and Enzo are probably there by now." 

"And when they give us a signal, our troops will go in and rescue them." 

"Right." Bob said, cheerfully. "And they'll be home before we know it." 

The two were silent. 

"So why do I feel so helpless?" Dot asked. 

"Powerless to do anything?" Bob supplied. The guardian sighed again and answered, "Because there's nothing we _can_ do. The two of us can't leave the system because our son is in trouble." 

"But he's our son!" 

"I know." Bob soothed. "But we're the system's leaders. We wouldn't be doing Mainframe any good if we did leave." 

Dot sighed. She knew in her heart Bob was right. The system would be in dire straights if they just took off after Kit and left the system to fend for itself. She would never do that to them, to the citizens. She had let them down enough times. But her code and everything flowing through her circuits told her to go. Her motherly instincts couldn't be quiet about this. Christopher was her son, her baby. Her first initialized. He was like a window into her past. He was a bit like Bob, in his looks, but he was a lot like her. And he sometimes reminded her of her father. Sometimes Kit would say or do something that was so reminiscent of what her father would say or do, it was eerie, but yet right in a way. 

She couldn't lose Kit, not the way she had lost her parents or Matrix. 

She just couldn't. 

* * * 

It was quiet in the underground prison. Nothing interesting was happening in the cells. Except for one. Four sprites were planning a jailbreak. They had managed to clamber in one cell and were planning a way out. They weren't sure how they would escapee, but as long as they alerted someone to their predicament, they would manage. Matrix and Enzo had brought communication devices in order to deliver a message back to Mainframe. With Enzo's second hand hacking skills, he was able to send two encrypted messages, one to AndrAIa in Mainframe and the other to Mouse and Ray. It was a simple message, basically giving each team a signal. 

The break was on. 

* * * 

In a small office, another meeting was taking place. This time between Viper, Vance McMillan, and a small one binome. The binome had told their portly guard he had something urgent to tell Mr. McMillan, something that his prize pupil Viper would want to know as well. The guard had been skeptical, but allowed the meeting to take place. 

The binome wasted no time. He began to tell the sprites how he had the cell next to the boy Roscoe and how he has a small listening hole in the wall. He described the conversation from the last cycle between the two boys, about how Kit is the son of the famous Guardian 452 and that his mother was the command.com of their system and that she is the daughter of the Matrix doctors. He also tells them the two new fighters, Matrix and Enzo, are the boy's uncles and the brothers of the command.com. The one also related how earlier, before he had gone to see the guard, the four had been planning to contact the Super Computer and other authorities about their illegal fighting ring. 

"Well thank you, Silo." Vance replied, showing the one out of his office. "This information will be put to good use." Closing the door, Vance turned back to his desk, with a huge smile on his face. "So," he smirked. "Kit is really the son of Guardian 452. And the grandson of the famous Matrix doctors. Very interesting." 

"I knew that little shit was up to no good." Viper spat. "And now he and his little boyfriends are gonna land us in jail." 

"Not necessarily." Vance said. 

"You got a plan, Boss?" the guard asked. 

"I always have a plan, you dipswitch." Vance growled. "That's why I'm the owner. My plan..." the sprite laughed a little. "Let them bring in their reinforcements." 

"But..." Viper sputtered, but was stopped by Vance's hand. 

"How do you hurt a person, Viper?" he asked. "By hurting them physically?" he shook his head. "Too easy. But if you hurt them _emotionally_...that's where the real pain lies. Physical pain you can heal from, but emotional-- You said you wanted a rematch with Kit, right? Well, we got some people to take care of first, but I guarantee, you'll emerge the victor."   


**Chapter 10 - Phase Two?**

The next second began cycle three of the fighting, but the four sprites who were there seemed to be more pleasant about this. In fact, they were smiling. The boys were able to send out a message to their rescuers to tell them the plan was in motion. They were going to need as many transport units as possible, in order to rescue the many prisoners there. But they definitely had a phase two going on and it was going to take place in about two to three seconds. 

A couple of other sprites also had large smiles on their faces, namely Vance and Viper. The two had caught hold of the sprites' plan and the first thing they wanted was to stop it, but Vance assured both Viper and Spaz ~who desperately wanted another crack at Enzo~ that they would certainly get their hands on the four sprites making a break for it. Vance had planned everything perfectly and his plan would go into effect when their raid took place. But for now, he wanted to know if he'd be getting another player for his plan. That second's match would determine it. 

Matrix vs. Joey Numbers. 

It was a match Vance was looking forward to. He knew Matrix was a big guy, he could see that when he first entered, but even the strength of the big sprite couldn't match that of one of his stars, Joey Numbers. The announcer said their names and both sprites entered the ring. Walking up to each other, they began staring down one another. Joey was just an inch taller than Matrix, but the two could see eye to eye. Matrix looked the character up and down, sizing up his competition. The renegade knew he would be a challenge and even being in the ring gave a sense of euphoria to him. He hadn't been in a UFL ring since his seconds in the games and he promised AndrAIa he wouldn't do it again. But this was different. 

This time he really did want to fight it out. 

"You need to learn to keep your nose outta other people's business." Joey growled. 

"Oh, you're the one to teach me huh?" Matrix quipped. 

"Yeah. I am." 

"Just bring it." 

The two stood toe to toe, eye to eye, until Joey seemingly turned away. But it was a ruse that landed a fist to Matrix's face. The two fighters then began delivering punches to each other, finally Matrix got the upper hand with a bear hug on Joey. Kit winced from backstage, remembering the pain he had suffered from Viper with that very same move. It was designed to work on the lower back and zap the strength from your opponent. If he hadn't been careful, Viper could've easily snapped his spine. 

Joey was able to break the hug with a chop to Matrix's neck, causing the renegade to drop the ex-codemaster. Joey followed up with a kick to the stomach and tried to do his finisher ~ Joey's DDT~ but as Joey put Matrix in the reverse headlock, Matrix pushed him to the ground hard. Joey was stunned for a nano, enough time for Matrix to get in a leg lock, bending Joey's leg in an unnatural position. Joey screamed and clawed, but wouldn't tap out. Frustrated, Matrix let go and stood up. 

"Come on, boy!" he yelled. "You gonna teach _me_ a lesson?" 

As Joey got up, Matrix punched him, until he stumbled backwards. "I don't think so." Grabbing Joey by the throat, Matrix pick him up and slammed him to the ground, stunning the fighter for the win. 

"How about that, folks?" The announcer cried. "The newcomer Matrix gets a huge chokeslam for the win. Incredible huh, Vance?" 

Vance just seethed. 

* * * 

Things were picking up in Mainframe very quickly, as the word of a rescue and the shutting down of a UFL reached the ears of the other residents. CPUs were lined up with large transports in order to rescue the hostages and for arresting the perpetrators. The message had come in shortly after downtime from Enzo, saying the break was on. Everyone immediately knew things were all right for the missing sprites, but that they were needed in order to shut the UFL down. 

Even though Dot hated sending people out into what could potentially be a war, she at least felt better that she now had something to _do_. Sitting around and worrying was not something she was used to doing and it drove her random. Now, she could at least give the CPUs instructions on what they were doing and how to handle their new situation. AndrAIa was able to correspond with Enzo, though his messages were very short and to the point in order to avoid suspicion. He let everyone know Kit was all right and that they would need a big transport to rescue the captives and an even larger one to capture the bad guys. 

Bob battled the games that came through, in order to keep the system online, so he didn't know how things were going until he had finished the latest one. Racing back to the Principal Office, he was met with a very ecstatic Dot, who hugged him tightly, saying Kit was all right. Kit is okay. He was happy to hear it. Both parents were driven random with worry about their son, not knowing what was happening and what was going on. But now it seemed he'd be returning home safely and that he was all right. Phong too was overjoyed at the news. It would've been such a tragedy if his young protégé had come to any harm. But for now the happiness would have to be at a minimum. 

There was work to do. 

* * * 

There was much a buzz in the underground prison. Word was that four daring sprites were actually thinking of escaping. And they wanted to take everyone else with them. They were trying to keep things quiet in order to keep Vance McMillan and his henchmen from knowing. But they didn't count on one little binome, who had exposed the whole scheme the night before. 

But for now, the prisoners were excited. They might be able to get out of their prison. Matrix and Enzo went around telling the larger and more experienced fighters the plan, while Kit and Roscoe took the plan to the smaller and more vulnerable children who were there. The first stop they made was to the cell that held the 0.6 hour old child Kit had seen his first few seconds there. The boys were surprised to see another child, a small girl, about two to three hours older than the other. When they approached her cell, she cowered in the corner, until Kit managed to coax her out and come to them. 

"What happened to your friend?" he asked. He could see there were tears in her eyes. 

The girl sniffed and said, "He's gone. He was my brother." 

The two boys looked at each other in surprised shock. "I'm sorry." Kit whispered. 

"Are you ready to go home?" Roscoe asked gently. The girl nodded. 

"Then don't worry." Kit continued. "We'll get you out of here and back home where you belong." 

The girl's face brightened a little as a small smile crept to her face. "Thank you." 

"Are you sure this will work?" Moose asked, leaning against the wall of his cell. 

"We'll certainly gonna make it work." Matrix replied. 

"Well..." Moose began. "I'm a bit skeptical, but I'll help you guys out." 

The four reassembled in the corridor, just as the portly guard Chester appeared. And he didn't look too happy to see them out of their cells. "Shouldn't you four be in a cell by now?" he asked. 

"Shouldn't you have lost some weight by now?" Enzo retorted. 

"You look here..." the guard protested, reaching for his gun, but was stopped by one of Matrix's arms. 

"I'd watch where you point that." the renegade growled. The binome gulped. He glared at the four one last time before leaving the holding cells. 

"You guys aren't making too many friends, you know that?" Roscoe quipped. 

"We're not here to make friends." Matrix responded. After looks from Kit, Enzo, and Roscoe, Matrix amended by saying, "Present company excluded." 

"My brother." Enzo joked, putting an arm around the renegade. "Always the popular one." 

"Look gang," Kit replied. "I think we've pretty much got this plan into action. All we have to do is give some instructions to those we've talked to and we should be out of here by next second." 

Roscoe shook his head. "I can't believe I'm gonna get out of here." he said. 

"I told you." Kit beamed, throwing an arm around his friend's shoulders. "You can always take the word of a scientist in training." 

"I'll feel better when they get here." Matrix mumbled. 

"Bro, you worry too much." Enzo chastised. "You're so paranoid sometimes. You think everyone's up to our game." 

All Matrix did was grunt about the last comment. He knew Enzo was right. He always worried too much. After he lost that game, he always had a strong sense about when things were about to happen. In reality, he'd always had it, but since his youthful hours, the sensations had gotten to be like a sixth sense. He knew Enzo shared it, but right now the boy was full of optimism that this plan of theirs would work. Matrix, too, hoped it would come off without a hitch, but in the back of his processor, he couldn't help feeling something unpleasant was about to take place. 

* * * 

The road to Dudleyville was shaping to be the biggest undertaking the system of Mainframe had ever done. Four large transport left the CPU hangers the very second they were put to use. Prime Guardian Turbo had even sent a few of the guardians from the Academy to help. Piloting one transport was AndrAIa. Her co-pilot was Sabrina, who vehemently refused to stay home and wait. In another was Alex, along with several of the guardians from the Academy. The third and forth transports were piloted by the heads of the CPUs and they too had several guardian allies with them. 

With their start from mainframe, the rescue teams hoped to arrive within a second or two or even less. Lives of the helpless and not so helpless rested on them. They couldn't dilly dally along as though they were on a field trip or a vacation cruise. Using high octane fuel, they hoped their speed would increase and that their arrival would not be too late. Different thoughts and ideas were exchange between the four transports, each trying to devise a plan in which they would be able to rescue those that needed it and arrest those who needed to be. It was decided that AndrAIa and/or Alex would be the rescuers. If they came in contact with either Matrix, Enzo, or Kit, they would able to distinguish where to put certain people. 

For now, it would be a long wait. 

In AndrAIa and Sabrina's transport, the two caught up on some mother-daughter things, discussing how things were going at the Academy. "I'm telling you, Mom," Sabrina was saying. "Things aren't too shabby. I have this roommate, who's like a second hour and she tells me all kinds of stuff." 

"All kinds of stuff, huh?" AndrAIa asked. 

Sabrina rolled her eyes. "Not _that_ kind of stuff." she said. "I mean cool stuff, like how to put off homework until before class or how to get extra jello cubes when you're only offered one. That stuff." 

"Sounds a lot like you." AndrAIa replied with a smile. "Only an hour or so older." 

"Ha ha." Bri said, sarcastically. "Laugh if you will, Mother, but I assure you, I'm having a great time." 

"I don't doubt it, just as long as you know why you're there." 

Sabrina sighed. Sometimes her parents hung around each other too much. "I do, believe me." she said. "The same reason Dad and Uncle Enzo and Uncle Matrix became guardians." 

"To meet girls?" her mother joked. 

"Mother..." 

"I'm just joking." 

"Besides," Sabrina said, looking out her window. "Boys are just that. Boys. They're like Kit. Cute and cuddly, but soon they turn into someone like Chip. Destructive and whiny." 

"You're brother isn't whiny." AndrAIa said. 

Sabrina smirked. "I can't help but notice you didn't mention..." 

"Shut up, Sabrina." 

"As I was saying," the girl continued. "Boys aren't for me right now. I have...I have life to explore and see. I have living to do. I have an entire Net to myself and by Norton, I'm gonna see it!" 

AndrAIa looked at her. 

"Rousing speech." she said. 

"I know." Sabrina replied. "I thought of it in Ancient Languages. I could probably say it in FORTRAN too." 

* * * 

It was one thing to plan a jail break. It's another to wait for it. The sprites who were in on it could feel the pull of anxiety and nervousness as it crept into the middle of the cycle. Fighting seemed to be the only thing of interest and the only thing that kept them from going random and insane. For some, it would probably be their last fight ever, so they went into the ring happy and excited. Others were still skeptical on the whole thing and they either passed up the invitation or the scoffed it. 

One of those was Smash Rally. 

The one binome didn't think the escape was going to work and had even thought about going to Vance and Viper about it. But he knew they were too smart to let a couple of uppity, high-horsed, 2-bit shits come in and ruin the business. It was that very thought that made him sent a message to Vance that he wanted a round with Kit. The one was tired of how the kid from the upper society had now come in to his business and tried to wipe it out. He was tired about the fact that everywhere he went, his three sheep followed him, like he was some all great messiah. Basic. Here Smash was, probably the best fighter in this whole company next to Viper, and he didn't even get cheered when he entered the ring. Well, that night he was going to show everyone he meant business. 

The one interesting thing about the UFL circuit was you didn't necessarily have to face someone of your own code. Sprites didn't have to fight sprites or binomes against binomes. It was a big free for all. And it was open to the public. Anyone who wanted to be a fighter could enter, which is how the likes of Joey Numbers and the now deleted Trance came into the organization. Vance McMillan saw money whenever they opened the doors and picked their fighters for the second. He'd put his own mother in the ring if it meant he'd get some extra units for the fight. It was the same for Smash. 

He'd get the most for tonight, when he beat Kit. 

The two entered the ring, Smash getting all the boos, Kit getting mostly cheers. Of course Enzo, Matrix, and Roscoe were right there to protect the boy if he needed it. Smash sneered at the company in the ring. "What's a matter, Kit?" he mocked. "Can't fight your own fights without your babysitters?" 

"One more chance to get out of here, Smash." Kit offered. 

"That's Mister Rally to you, babyface!" the binome spat. "You know I have half a mind to tell Mr. McMillan what you're doing." 

Kit raised his hand and pointed it at Smash. "You'll be sorry if you do." 

The little binome freaked out. He saw what Kit had done to Trance by this every gesture and Smash wanted no part of it. Soon, he was screaming and trying to get a referee in the ring. He almost walked out, if he hadn't seen a very angry Viper standing at the entrance he was heading to. Smash gulped and once again stood across from Kit. Kit didn't want to hurt the little guy, but he had to admit he was dammed annoying and rude and vulgar. And those were actually his _good_ points. But for all his faults, Kit couldn't hurt him. Not like he did to Trance and not like he had been for the cycles he had been in the league. 

While Kit contemplated, Smash quickly ran to one of the walls and grabbed a knife. He was going to win this fight, even if it meant he had to delete Kit to do it. He threw the knife quickly, which narrowly missed Kit by mere inches. Smash could tell the boy was shocked, if not angered by the move. Smash looked around again and saw the sledge hammer. Picking it up he started to run towards Kit, but the mere weight of the object tilted forward, flipping Smash in the process. "Why am I even standing here?" Kit questioned humorously. "It looks like you can take yourself...all by yourself." Smash growled in anger and tried to sweep Kit off the ground, but the teen just kept dodging him. 

"I've always wanted to be swept off my feet, but this is ridiculous." 

"Stand still!" Smash cried. 

Standing up, the little binome appeared red and flushed. He was so frustrated. If he didn't take care of Kit, Viper would surely take care of _him_. And that Smash knew he wanted no part of. He saw a chair nearby and went to get it. As he came back, he heard a commotion from the stands. Activity in the arena seemed to be picking up and everyone looked up to see what was going on. Even people in the stands were curious as to what could possibly be more exciting than the fights. That's when they heard it being shouted through the arena, first quietly, then louder as more people understood the saying and knew what it meant. 

"RAID!!"   


**Chapter 11 - RAID**

It was happening so fast. 

But yet, it seemed to go slow as well. 

First, there had been fighting, within the arena and the stands. People were going every which way in order to stay one step ahead of the law. And it was the highest law. Guardians. The guardians had been sent first into the arena, it had been a total surprise by those who were quickly arrested and hauled into awaiting transports. As the shout of a guardian raid swept through, more and more people tried to rush out, some leaving the people they were with in order to avoid being arrested. Even those fighters who had refused to join were hauling ASCII like it was on fire. 

Vance McMillan was the first out of the booth. He watched as his empire was starting to crumble. He watched...with a smile. His business may been raided and his fighters and clientele may be arrested, but Vance wasn't going to go out like that. Oh no. He had planned for this. He quickly grabbed his jacket and headed out of the booth. Running to his office, he met Viper and Joey in the hallway. Yelling to them, the three soon entered his office. Already there were the members of the Degenerate Order. They had been waiting for the three to enter since the fights had started again. 

They grabbed what they could and started making their way out through the back alley. Soon, they began to set up their plan. Vance hoped it would go smoothly. He didn't even carte at this point who it was, as long as Kit and his friends paid and paid big. He'd make it so Kit would have to fight Viper and when that happened, Viper would let lose. If Kit thought he was in pain when he first dealt with the big monster, he'd be in trouble when they met again. And Vance would be rid of him. 

For good. 

Meanwhile, sirens blared and horns honked as sprites and binomes came running out of the makeshift center. They were arrested before they even made it to the door. And it wasn't just a UFL anymore. As more and more people ran out, the authorities could see where Vance McMillan was getting his money. Besides the illegal sport, McMillan also ran a gambling club and a house of ill repute. It was like a CPU's dream. The biggest bust this side of the Net belonged to those involved. Matrix and Enzo quickly went about gathering those fighters who wanted out and with their help got those that didn't. As they ran into the now mobbed and confused streets, they saw AndrAIa standing near a large transport. They two quickly ran over. 

"I hope you guys are keeping out of trouble." she quipped. 

"Of course." Enzo said, smiling. 

"We're not exactly done here." Matrix replied. "I don't know why you're just standing around." 

"I was waiting for you." 

"Okay." Enzo said, slowly. 

"I thought you might need some help in roundin' some of these guys up." 

AndrAIa smiled at the exchanged looks of confusion between the brothers. Hitting the door button, the back door of the transport opened to reveal the best thing Matrix and Enzo had seen in a while. Sitting side by side, were three familiar bikes, one bike, one light blue, and the other purple. The brothers smiled in response to the surprise. "This is why we love you." Enzo replied, nodding in approval. 

"_This_ is why you love me?" AndrAIa asked, jokingly. 

"Among those other things." Matrix said, as the brothers kissed her cheek and ran to get their bikes like two children on Christmas morning. 

* * * 

Roscoe was doing his part of the plan. He was to help those people on the prisons escape. He had to struggle with Chester, the portly guard, as he reached for his rifle. Shots had been fired, but luckily Roscoe wasn't hurt. He finally grabbed the gun and pointed it at the guard, demanding any other weapons and of course the keys. Then Roscoe gave Chester a bit of his own medicine. He unlocked the furthest cell door, having the prisoner there leave and then placed Chester in it. When the portly guard started to mouth off, Roscoe happily started shooting at his feet, yelling "Dance for me, Chester! Dance!" 

With part of his fun had, Roscoe started unlocking the other cells. 

* 

Sabrina didn't like it down here. 

She had come running in, hoping to spot someone she knew. Luckily she ran into Kit, who told her to go down to the holding cells and release the prisoners. She agreed, but was now having second thoughts. As soon as she walked down those stairs, she felt the urge to puke. It stank. Reeked. Of what, the girl couldn't rightly say, but it was a mixture of decay and rotting and spewing and...she didn't even want to think about it. When she reached the bottom stair and actually entered the cell area, she knew why it smelled the way it did. 

On first sight, she couldn't believe her cousin had actually survived for so long down here. It was dark and dank and smelled disgusting. She could clearly see the prisoners now, reaching out for her, telling, screaming, crying for her to release them. Sabrina went to work immediately. using her trusty nail file, she began to pick the locks in order to free the prisoners. As soon as they were out, she told them where to go in order to get food and medical attention. She continued this way, working full speed, trying to free these people from their torment. 

She tried not to notice, but couldn't help seeing how many children were here. Children were around her age, some around the age of her brother, perhaps slightly older. Disgust and hate started pumping through her circuits. How anyone would want to put children in the mist of this barbaric sport was beyond her. Thinking of that made her think about how lucky Kit was, how he had made it out alive. She couldn't even fathom what life would've been like without him. Seeing a small binome boy made her think of her brother. Though she and Chip had their battles, Sabrina probably would go random if anything ever happened to her brother. Her family in general. There was some guy responsible for this. _If I ever get my hand on the basic, block headed, 2-bit son of a..._

A sudden bump startled her. 

"Sorry!" she cried. 

"No!" said a voice. "It's all my..." 

* 

A pair of violet eyes locked on to a pair of lavender ones. 

The two young sprites who had just bumped into each other accidentally, stood transfixed. All sorts of alarms and bells went off in their processors, their hearts beating slightly faster than before. Neither knew what it was like to experience fire crackers and explosions going off in their heads nor did they knew about the sensation they were now feeling. Roscoe had never seen such a pretty girl before. This one made Mandy look ugly! She was utterly breathtaking. Long and dark aquamarine hair hung about her shoulders, tan skin, and the most beautiful violet eyes he had ever seen. She was like a vision. A vision in the dark clouds he had been living in for the past hour. 

Sabrina was just floored. 

Of course after she had just told her mother that no, she wasn't interested in boys, along comes the cutest one by far. Dark purple skin, short black hair, and just gorgeous lavender eyes. They were about the same height, as each could look into the other's eyes. Part of her was cautious and afraid. What if this was the guard the prisoners were so terrified of? It would be her luck to get a crush on one of the bad guys. But looking into his eyes, she could tell he was good. She could almost see and sense everything he had gone through and what he was going through now. 

"Sabrina! Roscoe!" 

The two youngsters broke their eye contact when they heard their names. Slightly out of breath, Kit ran over to them. "I came down to help." he said, looking between them. "Have you guys met yet?" The two sputtered, each uttering some form of a no. "Right." Kit replied, looking at them again. "Well, Roscoe, this is my cousin Sabrina Matrix. Bri, this is Roscoe Bettyoskin. He's my friend." 

"Hi." Roscoe whispered. 

Sabrina giggled shyly, flipping some of her hair behind her ear. ""Nice to meet you." she said. 

Kit looked back and forth between them. Something weird was going on here. He had never seen Sabrina so shy before and what was up with that girlish giggle? She'd never done that before. And right now, he couldn't figure out Roscoe. The boy seemed to be drooling over his cousin. "Um...why don't we get back to freeing these guys, huh?" he suggested, once again looking at them. 

"Oh yeah, sure." Roscoe replied, nodding. 

"Right." Sabrina agreed, again flipping her hair behind her ear. 

"O...kay." Kit said again, this time walking away from them and getting to his task, chuckling along the way. 

* * * 

Enzo and Matrix had been flying over the crowded and confused system of Dudleyville, still spotting crowd goers and fighters alike. Most importantly, they were looking for the ring leader, Vance McMillan and his circle of henchmen. They by passed AndrAIa a few times, giving her reports of what they cold find and see and she in turned relayed them to the CPU and guardians available. The brothers did another swept and were surprised to see the very sprite they were looking for hailing them. Vance stood on the sidewalk in front of an alley entrance and seemed frantic. Suspicious, but anxious to get the sprite caught, the two set their bikes down. 

"Oh, thank the User!" Vance exclaimed, rushing over to them. 

"You know, you're the last person I would suspect of just running up to us." Matrix replied, as he and Enzo looked down at the sprite. 

"I know." the owner replied, slightly out of breath. "But I thought I could get some brownie points if I told you someone was in trouble." 

"What happened?" asked Enzo. 

"I was...I was well, running away if you will." Vance started. "And I get in this alley and I hear someone calling for help. An idea strikes me that if I help this person, I'll get some time off for doing a good deed." 

"You're all heart." Matrix said, sarcastically. 

"Come on!" Vance insisted. "I think he's getting worse!" 

The brothers, though skeptical, none the less followed Vance. If the seedy owner was telling the truth, they needed to help whoever was in need. It was in their guardian protocol. As they stepped around the corner into the alley, the brothers were met by the members of the Degenerate Order. Sensing an obvious trap, they tried turning around and almost ran into Joey Numbers and Viper, who stood behind them with Vance. 

"I thought you said someone was in trouble." Enzo said, backing away. 

"Someone _is_ in trouble." Vance replied, coldly. 

"And those someones are you." Joey said. 

Enzo looked over at his brother. "Dang." he said. 

"Dang is right." replied the renegade. 

"This is so not cool." 

"Not at all." 

"Nope." 

"Looks like we're gonna have to bust some heads." 

"Looks like." Enzo said. "Okay, how bout this? You get the other guys, _I'll_ take the ugly one." 

"Nah." Matrix responded, shaking his head. "The other guys are yours. I'll take the ugly one." 

Enzo looked around at their competition. "Hey." he said. "Which one's the ugly one?" 

Matrix too looked around. "Tough call." he smirked. 

"Stop yapping!" yelled Pete Piece, a member of Degenerate O. 

"Looks like they wanna fight." Enzo replied. 

"We certainly can't disappoint, can we?" Matrix asked with a smile. 

Instantly, the brothers went after their foes, but seven against two aren't very good odds. While most of the d-generates took care of Enzo, Pete, Joey, and Viper took care of Matrix. The boys looked to be doing good, but soon Enzo was thrown against the brick wall and was hammered with a barrage of punches and kicks. Matrix too was taking a beating, being thrown into a metal light pole. Vance just stood back, smiling. He enjoyed watching the carnage and destruction that was happening to the brothers. They were getting a beating, that was for sure. Even the Mighty Matrix was no match for Viper and Joey. 

Enzo wasn't fairing any better. Double D, Asia, G-Money, and Spaz were all taking it to him. At one point, Spaz had picked up a metal pipe and struck Enzo in the stomach with it, causing the young guardian to cry out in pain. Seeing a chance to fight dirty, soon the other three had weapons and were just pounding on Enzo, with Vance screaming and yelling instructions at them. Enzo was wobbly and in pain. His vision was really blurry and he knew he had some broken bones, but he was on his feet. And he was going to take out the whole gang as soon as he regained his senses. As he turned around, Spaz was ready for him. In his hands was one of the nearby garbage cans, which Enzo was quickly introduced to as it met his skull. 

He fell to the ground, unconscious. 

Matrix cold only hear the impact the trash can made on his brother's forehead, but there was nothing he could do about it. He had his own problems. As big and strong as he was, he couldn't take on three equally matched fighters by himself. Viper threw him up against the wall hard, the renegade's head hitting hard against it. Somewhere in the dark, Joey and Pete found a sturdy wooden table, which they quickly brought over. Vance wasn't content with just standing and coaching. Soon, he too was inflicting pain upon Matrix. As Viper lead him away from the wall, Vance delivered a kick to his stomach and hit his "Vance Stunner" ~a move where an opponent's jaw hit's the person's arm, a move that can easily break it. But the beating wasn't over. Picking Matrix up from the ground, Viper positioned him for a power bomb. 

"Get the table." he growled, as Joey and Pete pushed it over. 

Rising Matrix high above the air, Viper brought him down threw the table. 

The group left both Matrix brothers beaten, bruised, and unconscious in the alleyway.   
  
  


**Chapter 12 - The Black Void**

Waiting. 

In any situation, especially something as crucial as what was happening, the waiting is always tough. The plan wasn't supposed to go like this. Phase two was simple: get those who need out out and those that need punishment punished. No one could foresee an incident like this. It had been strange to all involved when two bikes were left on an empty sidewalk, standing very lonely and awaiting their owners' return. AndrAIa found this fact very disturbing indeed, as Matrix and Enzo would never leave their bikes ~their pride and joys~ just sitting out on the street, especially in a system like Dudleyville. 

Landing her own bike down next to her husband's, the game sprite was accompanied by six different guardians, each calling out the names of the renegade and the young guardian. A young cadet cried out when he found them. Both were unconscious in the back alleyway and both had been beaten severely. Enzo was laid out, energy still coming from a cut above his eye. A small puddle of energy was underneath his head as well. Matrix's body rested against the remains of a broken table. He too had a small puddle of blood dripping from the back of his head. Both had various cuts and bruises and both were quickly rushed to the local hospital, the only place not corrupted by the system's dealings. 

AndrAIa was more than just worried. Her husband and brother had been seriously beaten, almost to deletion and that fact alone had her scared. She remembered when they had all been in the system of Turic and how Phong had told her a disturbing story about the Matrix brothers. How in an extreme crisis, both could easily shut down and have an all out system crash. It had happened shortly after their parents had deleted. It had almost happened in Turic. And even though the brothers were different and hours apart, they still shared the common bond that was Enzo Matrix. Both remembered the "black void" as Phong had called it, and both remembered how close they had come to leaving their loved ones. The game sprite now wondered if this new crisis would lead the boys into that void again. 

She certainly hoped not. 

She couldn't take it and neither could the rest of their family. Glancing over at Sabrina, she knew their daughter would not handle the news well. AndrAIa even wondered if perhaps Sabrina could slip into something like that ~she was so much like Matrix~ some darkness that she would never come out of. She knew Dot for sure wouldn't be able to take the news. First thinking her eldest son is deleted and then knowing her brothers have wasn't something she wanted to tell the head strong commander. And in an odd twist, the game sprite even worried about those responsible. If they were ever found...AndrAIa shook her head. It was bad enough they already had two hot tempered Matrixes in the room now. 

Needless to say, Kit and Sabrina were not happy. 

Sabrina paced back and forth across the floor, clenching and unclenching her fists ~a habit she had picked up from her father~ and making small curses under her breath. "If I ever get my hands..." she muttered, a scowl forming on her childlike face. "They'll be so sorry they ever _messed_...if they ever _live_ when I'm through..." Kit sat stoically on a nearby bench, Roscoe sitting next to him. The orphaned boy's eyes went back and forth between the two sprites. As much as he was enamored with the beautiful Sabrina Matrix, he wasn't about to go over there right now. And his friend Kit sat next to him, clearly seething and almost foaming at the mouth. 

Kit knew exactly who had done this to his uncles and he was certain they would pay. Even if he got his ASCII beaten in to next cycle or even the next minute, he was going to go after the guys who did this. Standing up quickly, he walked over and blocked Sabrina's return path. The two stared at each other for a nano, before Kit motioned for her to follow him. Without a word, he turned on his heels, his cousin behind him, and headed for the door. As he walked, he snapped for Roscoe to join them, which the boy responded to with accelerated speed. AndrAIa and Alex watched as the three children headed out, not knowing where they were going, but sure that they weren't in the mood to be stopped. 

* * * 

Laughing. 

The sound of laughter echoed through the quiet walls of the small office. Vance loved it when a plan came together. He and his cohorts were back in his office, in his deserted arena. Sure, he felt bad for all those people that escaped and those that were arrested, but he had gotten his revenge. The scene he had been witnessed to was wonderful. Watching as those dammed Matrix brothers were beaten to a pulp was satisfying, almost arousing in a way. The former league owner smiled. He loved violence. He would marry it if he could. 

And the people that surrounded him loved it just as much. The d-generates were still talking about how they had delivered that trash can to Enzo's head and how Viper had put the big lummox Matrix through a table. They couldn't think of a better sight then seeing those two out cold in the alley and even better was when they were both hauled in an ambulance to the hospital. The group was enjoying reliving the moments of terror they had put those two through. "I told him I was gonna teach him a lesson." Joey joked, causing a round of laughter through the room. 

Suddenly, the door was slammed open and three small sprites stormed in the room. Pete tried to rush to the first boy, but was thrown back by an energy ball. Asia tried next and was cut down by a paralyzing fingernail. The third boy, thinking he should probably do something helpful for his friends, elbowed Spaz, who came up behind him, then got in a great uppercut, leaving the young d-generate out on the ground. "Temper, temper." Vance chastised. 

"You have some nerve, you sorry son of a null!" Kit screamed, strolling up to the desk. 

"You need to watch your language, little man." Vance countered. "Besides, what would your father, the almighty Guardian 452 say about your behavior?" 

"He'd say I should string you up by your ASCII." Kit retorted. 

"I think maybe you need to be taught a lesson." Double D replied, approaching the children. "Maybe it should be from the lesson plan we taught your uncles." 

Double D smirked at the joke. All Kit did was raise his right hand and shoot a ball of energy into the fighter's stomach. The fighter flew back against the wall and slid down it in a daze. "You were saying?" the boy growled, his attention still turned to Vance. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way. You chose." 

Vance smirked. "And you have something in mind, do you?" he asked. "Do I have to beat you in a fight in order for you to feel validated?" 

"Not you." Kit replied, with a smirk of his own. Pointing at Viper, he said, "Him." 

"You either have a lot of nerve or balls the size of the entire Net." Viper said. "What makes you think you'll be getting me?" 

Kit turned to look at him, anger and hatred in his eyes. "Because payback's a bitch." he said. "You and me. For the title. Take it or leave it." 

Viper grinned. "Fine." he said. "But if I win, you delete. Try to survive, you little shit." 

Kit stepped up to the big behemoth. "Survive if I _let_ you." he shot back. Turning around, he promptly left. 

* * * 

Enzo woke up in a void. 

i>Oh, not this again, he thought. 

It seemed every time he found himself in trouble, he'd wind up in this dark and black void. The first time had been right after his parents had been deleted in the Twin City explosion. The second time had been used as torment by the virus Megabyte. Enzo couldn't understand why he was there again. But if he was there, surely his brother would be joining him shortly. For now, all the young guardian could do was walk around. It was a tad bit brighter than the first two times he had been there, still dark, but not so scary anymore. 

All at once, the memories came flooding back to the sprite. The fight in the alley and being hit over the head with that trash can. That had just been rude on the part of those fighters. Rude indeed. Maybe that would explain some things. Perhaps he was just unconscious from the blows he received. He wished Matrix could've helped him and vice versa, but seven versus two isn't going to be deemed a fair fight. His walk was long and boring and the only change of scenery was when he came upon a familiar figure. 

"Waiting for me?" Enzo asked. 

Matrix shrugged. "Had to do something to keep busy." he said. "So, we're back here I see. All we gotta do is get out." 

"Easier said than done, Bro." Enzo replied. "Unless of course, you've seen a door around here somewhere." 

"If I had, I wouldn't still be here." 

"That's just cold, dude." 

"Well, I guess we sit here and just hang until we wake up or something." Matrix suggested. 

"Got any cards?" asked Enzo. 

* * * 

Phong sighed in worry. 

He had just received a vidwindow from Alex and AndrAIa, who were currently sitting in a hospital in the system of Dudleyville. The wise sprite hoped the news was good, but alas it wasn't. Though Kit was unharmed, the brothers Matrix had been taken to the hospital after a serious beating and now their loved ones were concerned over their fates. Phong too was concerned. This had happened before to the brothers, twice now, and it had just been by luck they had escaped, but Phong didn't think the brothers could cheat deletion a third time. 

He still remembered the small boy who had almost been taken by the "black void" as he called it. According to both Matrix and Enzo, it was a sea of darkness that one couldn't escape. Phong had heard about these occurrences, when sprites are on the verge of departing the Net, they sometimes enter a lighted placed from which there is no return. The wise old sprite had thought this was the same place, only it was darker for the brothers. Why this was, he hadn't figured out yet, but he knew it wasn't good. In talking to both brothers, from the time Matrix was a child, to the recent relived battle with Megabyte, both had told him they could clearly see their parents on the other side of a door, in a field or pasture. And every time, they gestured towards them, wanting to have their son back in their arms. 

And every time, they would have their son. 

This made Phong extremely upset. It was night in Mainframe and Bob and Dot were at home sleeping. He just didn't have the heart to call and wake them with this disturbing news. They had been on edge for cycles, worrying about Kit, now was not the time to tell them their brothers were in serious trouble. And the sprite believed they were. As strong as he knew the Matrix line to be, surely the brothers wouldn't be coming back from this. And that left a lot of sprites in trouble as well. The girls had said that Kit and Sabrina had disappeared with their new friend Roscoe and neither child looked happy. Knowing their tempers, Phong could only hope they had gone to get some fresh air and not revenge, but somehow he knew that wasn't the case. 

He just hoped they knew what they were doing. 

* * * 

Waiting. 

It was something that Matrix and Enzo hated doing. And right now, they had no choice in the matter. The two brothers had once again found themselves in the strange void that came and went in their life spans. Sitting on the floor, the two waited until one of them woke up and could get the other out of this. And wait they did. Wait and seethe. 

They would get their revenge. 

They had seen their attackers up close and personal and they would do anything to get the chance to crack their heads in, especially Vance McMillan. The ringleader. They had heard his cheers and Matrix was dammed sure he'd be getting a crack at that guy for his 'Vance Stunner' on him. Oh, he was going to pay. "When I get my hands on that little FAQ McMillan," he started, clenching his fists. "I'm going to pound his face into a brick wall." 

"So, how do you really feel about him?" Enzo asked, with a lilt of sarcasm. 

"FAQ off, Enzo." Matrix growled. 

"Testy." the guardian replied. "I think someone needs a nap." Matrix just glared at him. "Look, I know you want McMillan and Co. but we gotta find a way out of here first." 

Matrix sighed. The two stood up and started looking for ways out. 

* * * 

The small binome doctor left the two adjacent rooms, sighing. He was really getting too old for this. Every second, it was a different fighter, a different binome, a different sprite, a different situation, a different life. And he was getting quite sick of it. Doctor Phineas Memo removed his glasses and ran a hand over his face. How he had come into a system like this was beyond him. 

He had started his own practice in another system called Ysen, but after it was destroyed by the bug infestation, he needed a new place to start. The only reason he picked Dudleyville was because a friend of his late wife's lived here. He had become ill and Memo had come to take care of him and maybe do some work at the local hospital until he could get back on his feet. That was at least an hour or so ago and he was still here. And things had only got worse when that retched UFL came to town. It seemed like every microsecond of every second of every minute, he was treating one of those fighters for injuries, some much more serious than others. He had seen a lot of good people, especially children, waste away in that facility and it sickened him. And just when someone had come in to stop them, they too ended up here. 

He continued his walk down the hallway, where he would come to meet the family of the two patients he had just seen. He always hated telling them this, especially parents who didn't even know their son or daughter was in the league. Most of the children there had been kidnapped and it left parents hurt and confused and then saddened knowing how their child had deleted. That was always the hardest part about medicine and the sick. Telling the loved ones the prognosis. A task he would have to do as soon as he stepped into the small lobby. At his mere presence, the two women that came in were quickly on their feet. He remembered the elder one to be the wife of one and the other was the girlfriend of his brother. He didn't notice the three children who had come in with them. It was just as well. 

The situation was not good. 

"I'm Dr. Memo." he said, coming up to the two. "You're the folks who came in with the two brothers, yes?" 

"Yes," Alex said, impatiently. "How are they?" 

"Well..." Memo hesitated, as he saw the children return. They didn't look too happy and he was unaware if he should continue in their company. 

"They're big kids." AndrAIa said, seeing the look on the doctor's face. "Just tell us what's going to happen." 

"Well," Memo started. "Both have a lot of damage. The younger one has a few bruised ribs, but we've taken care of that. He'll be in some pain for a few seconds. Out of both, he's doing a slightly better. As for the older one, he has the most risks. Cracked jaw, dislocated shoulder, some circuit spurs on his spine. Right now, he's iffy. Both have severe concussions, so they're not out of the woods yet, either of them. Right now, all we can do is wait." 

Memo looked up to see somber faces of family members, but all he saw was rage on the five faces that greeted him. The children he could see were clearly upset, as was the girlfriend. The wife, too looked increasingly angry, but remained calm for the situation. "Thank you, Doctor." AndrAIa said. "You'll keep us updated?" 

"Of course." 

Memo nodded his goodbye and quickly got out of there. He didn't think he had ever seen someone so mad before, but the looks on those sprites' faces were ones of deletion. Whoever was responsible for this, would surely pay. And pay big. 

"When I get my hands on that low down, dirty..." Alex steamed. 

"Someone is going to pay." AndrAIa continued. 

"It's already taken care of." Kit whispered. Both girls turned and looked at the three. 

"What did the three of you do?" AndrAIa asked, suspiciously. 

"Nothing." Kit said. Turning to her, he replied, "Yet." 

AndrAIa was taken back by that. Not the statement itself, but by the very way Kit had said it and the way he looked when he did. She could see a coldness in his eyes that she had never in her life seen. It was almost like seeing Bob get really mad, a rare occurrence indeed. But she had seen Kit become angry before, but nothing like this. It was like all the kindness and compassion that Kit had always demonstrated was now gone. An eerie coincidence seemed to strike the game sprite. It was like reliving the seconds that Matrix had turned from the sweet, loving sprite she had met to the hardened renegade he once ~and in some ways still~ was. 

That in itself told AndrAIa things would not be settling down. 

* * * 

"Are we there yet?" 

"I swear, if you ask me that one more time..." 

"I'm just kidding. Oy, can't you take a joke?" 

"Not right now." 

"Come on. Try. It's fun. Hey, about this. A binome walks into a bar, right?" 

Matrix closed his eyes. They had been like this for who knows how long and Enzo was slowly getting on his nerves. Much more than usual. With all the excitement going on in their lives lately, the renegade had almost forgotten how hyper his brother could get when he got bored. 

Almost. 

"Shut the FAQ up, Enzo." he growled. "I am so serious right now." 

"I'm just trying to loosen the mood." the young guardian replied. "Ugh, it's like hanging out with a null sometimes with you. I don't get it. I'm such a happy go lucky guy and you're a null on an analog. Tell me again how we're related." 

"You're my back up copy." 

"Okay, now that was just mean." Enzo stated. "But that proves my point. Now, if I'm your copy, you should be just as cool as I am, but you're not. You're like a damp rag on the counter of life. You're like the wet noodle in a bowl of soup. You're like..." 

"You're gonna be like a splatter on the floor if you don't SHUT UP!!" 

"You know what you need?" asked Enzo. "A cookie. Maybe an applet sundae. Oh man, those are good. I swear, they have to be the greatest things in the Net. Cause you will never hear anyone say 'hey you wanna get a sundae? Nah, I don't want a sundae.' Cause that would never happen, right?" 

"All right, that's it." 

Matrix lunged for his brother, who quickly started to run away. The two continued to run until Enzo stopped suddenly, causing Matrix to run into him. "I've got you now, you little..." Matrix huffed, but stopped when he looked up. "No way." he whispered. It was happening all over again. In front of them, not more than five feet, stood their parents, waving to them. Behind them was a lovely field, filled with grass and flowers and sprites and binomes alike having fun. 

The brothers stood transfixed by the sight. It was like the Twin City all over again and the feeling they had gotten when it had happened. How lost they had felt, how sad, how depressed. But they hadn't been feeling that until they entered the darkness they were so familiar with. Neither one wanted to leave the life they had now, but...a chance to be with their parents, their beloved parents was hard to pass up. "This isn't real." Enzo said, shaking his head. 

"What're you talking about?" Matrix whispered. "It's Mom and Dad. It's our parents!" 

"Yeah, but..." 

"Look, they even want us to come over there!" 

"Enzo..." called their mother. 

Enzo was torn. He wasn't sure what was going on, but as his brother had pointed out, there were their parents. Standing and waving to them, just like before. He too wanted to be with them, join them and their friends from long ago in the field. But somewhere, he knew this couldn't be real. He remembered what happened the last time he had followed his parents. He had almost deleted. He had...they _both_ had too much to lose if they left now. But Enzo couldn't get over the image he was being presented with. After the bug incident and the building of the Memorial in their parents' names, he and Matrix spent a lot of time there, learning about their parents and getting to know them again. 

But there's not much a picture or a paragraph can do. 

Before he knew what was happening, Enzo saw Matrix walking towards the door... 

* * * 

"Doctor, we're losing him!" 

"Energy levels dropping!" 

"Keep him stable!" cried Memo, as he ran over to the IV that was connected into Matrix's arm. 

"Doctor, we're losing him fast!" shouted one of the nurses. 

It had been a routine check on his patient, when the nurse had alerted him that Mr. Matrix was slipping out of reality. He had rushed past the family in the lobby, who he could hear were being held back by one of the orderlies. Rushing into the room, Memo could hear the machines beeping rapidly as Matrix's energy levels started to slip and then dropped all together. 

"Doctor, we're having a problem with the other Matrix!" shouted a nurse coming from the hall. 

"Not now!" Memo yelled, rushing from there and over into Enzo's room. 

The same situation was taking place with Enzo. His energy levels started to drop and hard as they try, the staff couldn't get them back up. Soon the steady beeping was replaced by a duet of long tones coming from both rooms.   


**Chapter 13 - Falling Angels & the Devil's Game**

She couldn't believe it. 

They were gone. 

Sabrina stood outside in the dark cold of Dudleyville, not wanting to hear what the doctor had to say. He had said enough. When he had gone running down the hall towards her father's room, she just knew something was wrong. And then when he dashed to Enzo's room and came out, shaking his head...Sabrina just didn't want to hear it. She already knew they were deleted. She hadn't even cried yet. She wasn't going to in front of everybody. She was tough, just like her dad and she wasn't about to appear weak in front of everyone else. 

The girl stood out back in the hospital's rear entrance/exit. It was too big to be an alley, but essentially that's what she was standing in. Only a few lights were on and the streets were quiet. The only person out seemed to be her and she wanted it that way. She had just thought about how she would react if anything ever happened to her family and the event just took place. It would be one thing to lose her father, but for her to lose her father _and_ uncle, on the same night, was devastating. How would she be able to cope with this? How would her family cope with this? To lose two family members...she shook her head. 

She didn't want to think about it. 

Right now, she wanted to get her hands on those responsible. Unfortunately, Kit already had dibs on Viper, the one responsible for her father's deletion. A noise from behind her, stopped her thoughts as she tensed to the oncoming presence. It was probably her mother, there to tell her the news. She was surprised when the hand on her shoulder turned out to be a purple one. "They're gonna be okay, Sabrina." the voice said. Sabrina took a deep breath, choking back a sob as she did. "They're still here." it continued. "They're just sleeping, that's all." The emotion just wouldn't stay back and soon, Sabrina found herself in the arms of a friend, sobbing on his shoulder. 

As much as Roscoe enjoyed the mere touch of the girl, he knew this wasn't the time to be asking if she was available. He couldn't believe he had even thought about her in that way. He had never had a girlfriend before and he certainly didn't _like_ girls, but ever since meeting Sabrina, he had fallen head over heels for her. And knowing that her father and uncle were in a horrible state at the moment, just broke his heart. Roscoe hugged her, soothing her as she cried on his shoulder. Sniffing, she pushed him away and wiped her eyes. 

"All right." she said. "What am I looking at? How bad?" 

"The doctor said they got them stable again, but just barely." Roscoe reported. "They're in a coma." 

"Both of them?" she asked. Roscoe nodded. 

"That's just like them." she said, shaking her head. "They can be so rude sometimes..." 

"Are you gonna leave?" Roscoe whispered. 

"Huh?" 

"Well, your Mom said that Enzo's girlfriend would leave and that you'd probably go too." 

"Well, my mother was sadly mistaken!" Sabrina exclaimed. "Besides, I have some business to take care of. First, I need to talk Kit out of fighting Viper." 

"Why?" he asked. Taking one look at her, he knew the reason. "You can't!" he screamed. 

"Shh!" Sabrina replied, looking around. "You want everyone to know what we're doing?" 

"You can't be serious!" Roscoe continued. "Have you seen Viper?" 

"Yes I have." she said. "And I know there's no way Kit can take him." 

"But you can?" he asked incredulously. 

Sabrina stared at him, her anger rising. "I'm Sabrina FAQing Matrix." she growled. "I can take anyone, at anytime. You think Viper scares me?" 

"Well he should." Roscoe whispered. "He's already deleted tons of other people, not to mention put your father and uncle in the hospital. I really don't want you, or Kit, to be next." 

Sabrina calmed and looked down. Of course he was right. There was no way she could take Viper. That second, next second or even next minute. And neither could Kit. But the act of what he did and the anger they felt, compelled them to want to take action. "So what now?" she asked, eyes still down. "I'm not about to let the over grown bastard and his friends get away with this." 

"He won't." Roscoe replied. "I promise you." 

"What happens if Kit won't fight him?" she asked. 

"I will." 

Sabrina looked up. "You'll what?" 

"I'll fight Viper." Roscoe said, a hint of determination and fear in his voice. 

"You're random." she said. "If Kit and I can't take him, what makes you think you can?" 

"I don't have anything to lose." he said. "Your family needs you, especially if...well, just if. I don't have that. Besides, I have my own score to settle with Viper." 

Sabrina looked at their new friend. She had only known him for a second, but already she knew he was a couple circuits off from a complete track. Cute, but totally nuts. As he turned and started to head back inside, she called to him. "You do too have something to lose." she said. He stopped, but didn't turn around. "Your life. And I certainly hope you're not doing this to impress me, cause I'm not impressed by guys who go out and try to get themselves deleted. That may have worked for my Mom, but not me." 

Roscoe smiled as he turned to face her. "I'm not doing this to impress you." he said. "I'm doing this out of pure hatred, vengeance, and revenge." 

"Good." Sabrina said, nodding. When she realized what she had said, she sputtered, "I mean...at least your morals are in order." She unconsciously flipped her hair back with her hand and immediately started to blush. 

"Besides," Roscoe continued, walking towards her. "I could tell you're not a girl who's easily impressed. You're someone who looks for more. Someone who's incredibly classy." 

"Really?" she squeaked, his presence intimidating her. 

"Yeah." he said, closing the gap between them. "You need a guy who's smart and sweet and sensitive..." 

"I can't date my own cousin." she blurted, before closing her eyes in embarrassment. 

Roscoe just smiled. Man, she was cute! "You know, Kit's not the only sprite in the Net who has all those things." 

Though he had just met her, the urge to kiss her was incredible. And he didn't know how to kiss! But somehow, his processor went on auto-pilot and he started to lean in, closing his eyes in the process. "Hey, have you...oops!" The exclamation caused the two children to jump away from each other. Turning towards the door, a shocked, but yet amused Alex stood, trying to hide a smile. "Sorry!" she said, trying not to laugh. "I didn't mean to interrupt." 

"You're not!" both said in unison. They both laughed nervously before Roscoe replied, "I'd better go find Kit and stuff." 

"I'll...I'll go with you." Sabrina said, walking quickly in front of the boy. 

"I take it this means you're not leaving with me." Alex surmised, as she nodded at the girl. 

Sabrina just glared at her. "Work on your timing." she hissed, as the two passed her. 

* * * 

"Can you believe that little...?" 

Vance had sat and listened to the rants of a little boy and his friends. Now he sat listening to the rants of a large, deadly fighter. The owner actually thought this was a good idea. One last match to prove that he was the best and that Viper was the best. As soon as they won, Vance just had to kick those sprites out of his system and continue on with business. And that's exactly what he would do, too. "I think he's just talking." he replied, watching as Viper stopped his pacing and turned to him. "The kid's been hit in the head too hard. It'll be easy for you to get a win on him." 

"You seriously want me to fight him again?" Viper asked. "For the title?" 

"Yes." Vance said. "And in a match of your choosing. With no outside interference." 

Viper grinned. He loved picking matches. "No holds barred street fight." he said calmly. "60 microseconds. I have never lost in one." 

"I know." Vance smiled. "But I'm going to make sure you don't lose at all." 

"How?" 

"We'll make the weapons much more dangerous. Get rid of the chairs and trash cans, bring in the big guns. Knives, hammers, whips, weight belts. You name it, it'll be in the ring." 

"Tables." Viper replied, with a sinister smile. "I want that little FAQ to feel what it's like to go through a table." 

"Done." Vance said. "And...how bout this? I saw this in another UFL once. Hardcore match for the title. Barbed wire wrapped around a 4x4. You won't believe the damage it inflicts." 

Viper laughed. "His little light show isn't gonna stop me from kicking his ASCII all over that ring." 

"I want him deleted, Viper." Vance said, sternly. "No one screws with Vance McMillan. I want him to pay for this. If he thought his uncles got a beating, wait until I book this match. I want him faded away by the second half." 

* * * 

Matrix shook his head and got his barrings. Looking around, he could see this was not the happy, serene place he had seen his parents. To his left, he heard Enzo struggling as well. Again, Matrix took note of their surroundings. The void. Again. "Well, bro." he said. "Looks like we're not in Mainframe anymore." 

"We're back here?" the young guardian asked, also surveying the darkness. "But didn't we just...?" 

"Yes." Matrix said. "This has totally never happened before." 

Enzo stood and helped his brother up. They looked around in confusion. They had been walking towards their mother and father and the beautiful field that awaited them from the side of the door. But as soon as they reached it, darkness surrounded them once more and they must've passed out. "I don't remember ever coming back here after seeing them." Enzo whispered. 

Matrix took a deep breath. "I know." he replied softly. "What I wonder is, if we're still here, what's happening out there?" 

"What if..." Enzo voiced, but stopped. Looking at his brother, the renegade knew the thought they both shared. 

"I certainly hope not." 

"But this is so different." Enzo said. "Totally different than anything that's happened before!" 

"Calm down." Matrix hissed, knowing a panic attack when he saw one. "I wish Phong was here. This is something he'd know about it." 

"Well, I have a good feeling that's not going to happen right now." Enzo said bitterly. He got quiet and whispered, "Enzo?" 

"What?" 

"What if we can't get out here?" 

Matrix opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn't think of anything to say. Enzo always did have a habit of voicing his own feelings and right now, the renegade was scared. This was something the two of them had never had happen before and the prospects that they could be stuck here, that they could be deleted, made Matrix want to cry. Actually break down and cry. What they needed to do was get out of there, but how? There were no doors, no windows, just view after view of blackness. The whole thing made him feel like the little boy who had been trapped in the games. Helpless, panicked, scared, frustrated. And just like before, Matrix had with him someone who looked up to him and needed him. The irony was sickening. 

They had to get out. They just had to. 

* * * 

Back in Mainframe, things were beginning to return to normal, as normal got in the little system. The worry that something horrid had happened to the young son of their leaders had the citizens worried, but when word came that things were going good, the panic left and the city was once more in relative calm. 

At least on the outside. 

On the inside, namely the Principal Office, feelings weren't so easy to shake. 

Though Bob and Dot now knew for sure that their son was all right and that a rescue party had gone out, they still were worried. It had been another sleepless and worried cycle as they sat and wondered what was happening in Dudleyville. Though they were a bit happier now, they were still concerned. Not only on Kit's welfare, but that of Matrix and Enzo, the first team to go look for him, and the girls: AndrAIa, Alex, and Sabrina, who had gone looking for them. 

Phong, too, was worried, but for far greater reasons. He still had not told Bob and Dot what had happened to Matrix and Enzo and he was feeling a mix of relief and guilt as he watched them play happily with their other children. The old sprite had been debating about the matter since he had gotten the vidwindow from AndrAIa. He was also still worried about what would happen if the brothers once again found themselves in their "black void" and if indeed they would make it back this time. Ever since they had mentioned it, the wise sprite had been searching for the very cause of the problem. Why had the brothers been in a "black" void? Why had they not seen the classic "white light" where their parents should have awaited for them? 

He had an idea as of why they always came back. It was not yet their time to depart from their system or their lives. He just knew in his heart that James and Patricia, though wanting and missing their son ~who they would see were 'sons'~, would let them come back to the sprites they loved and cared for. But now...Phong wondered if perhaps the brothers time with them was now over. He shook his head. It would be a shame to lose one, but to consider losing both would be unbearable. Phong again looked at the happy family minus one. He knew they could not take a loss so big. And he still didn't know the condition of Christopher. If he should be hurt as well...he sighed sadly. 

This was not the cycle he was hoping to have.   


**Chapter 14 - Lost Souls**

It seemed like milliseconds as Enzo and Matrix took an extended tour of their little black prison. Everywhere they went, they were surrounded by darkness and quiet. Currently, both were feeling emotions of frustration, fear, and despair. If what they were thinking was true, they were deleted. They were stuck in this encasing void with no escape in sight. Just when they thought they would be reunited with their parents, they return to the void they knew and hated. The brothers didn't know what their next move would be or if they even had one. 

Enzo was becoming increasingly worried. If they were wandering around here, what was going on out _there_? Were he and his brother both deleted? He looked around and began getting that same feeling he got the first time he had landed here. He was scared and upset and only the images of his parents helped through. He remembered going towards his mother and hugging her and then everything went blank. He didn't remember anything after that except for waking up in the medical unit two cycles later. He hated being here and right now his anger was rising, along with his fear and frustration. 

Matrix walked ahead of his brother, sensing the same feelings. It amazed him how much they could be alike sometimes. Every once in a while, the renegade would forget that Enzo was his back up copy and that the two could be linked so well. Like now. Matrix didn't even have to ask how Enzo was feeling. He knew. He could feel the emotions going through his brother as they walked. His father always said he had that special gift of empathy. It worked the same way with Dot. Even now, he could sense how happy she was. Happy? Shouldn't she be at least slightly upset? Matrix scowled at the thought. He would have to ask about that. Once they got out of this. 

He hoped. 

* * * 

"Kit, you can't do this!" 

Kit stood in one of the back rooms of the former UFL building. He was putting on elbow pads and doing stretching excerise. Sabrina and Roscoe stood nearby, trying to talk him out of fighting Viper. But Kit's mind was made up. That low down null had severely hurt his uncles, who now lay in separate beds in the hospital in comas. Kit wasn't going to forget that. Ever. He had come close to losing his mother and now his uncles. He was going through too much right now and he needed to at least take out some pent up aggression and what better way than to pound the living shit out of a big, basic, son of a virus like Viper. 

"I know what I'm doing, Bri." the boy replied, tying his shoes. 

"Look, Kit, I know you want to pound Viper's face in, but the guy is twice your height and size!" his cousin exclaimed. "He'll delete you!" 

"She's right, Kit." Roscoe added. "No one knows Viper better than me. He's in one of those deleting moods." 

Kit turned to face them. "So you want me to walk away, huh?" he asked. "Forget what he did to me? Forget what he did to Matrix and Enzo? Forget what he did to Kalyle Daniels?" 

"Kalyle Daniels?" Sabrina exclaimed. "What happened to him?" 

Sabrina looked between both boys, who weren't answering her question. Roscoe could feel his own anger rising. He had been in this place for so long and had seen what Viper could do to someone. He didn't want to see Kit become another victim. He couldn't watch as his family was losing members. He had been thinking about what he said to Sabrina outside, about taking care of Viper himself. He wasn't sure if he really meant it or not. But seeing Kit and Sabrina, he knew what he wanted to do. 

"I'll fight him." he whispered, much to Kit's surprise. 

"You're joking, right?" 

Roscoe shook his head. "I'll fight Viper." he repeated. "For the title. And I'll win." 

"You got some nerve, Ross." Kit replied. "This is really our battle, you know." 

Roscoe shook his head again. "It's everyone's battle." he said. "If Viper is still processing, he's just gonna keep on hurting people. At least...at least if I beat him, he'll have to stop." 

Kit held out his hand, letting Roscoe shake it, and then pulling him closer. "But if you get hurt or deleted, I'm going to pound you myself." he said. Roscoe smiled. 

"He'll pay." he whispered. "I promise." 

Kit patted his friend on the shoulder and left to check on his uncles, leaving Roscoe and Sabrina alone in the room. Sabrina stood watching as the boy began getting ready. She thought he was the most random boy in the Net, doing what he was thinking of. But on the other hand, he was sweet for doing it. And he wasn't half bad without his shirt on. He was still a bit skinny, but one could tell he was building up the muscles in his arms and stomach. "You don't have to do this, you know." she said. "We'll still get McMillan and Viper and haul their ASCIIs to jail." 

"Anyone ever tell you you should watch your language?" Roscoe joked. 

"All the time." Sabrina retorted. She walked over to him as he laced up his boots. "Thanks for taking care of Kit for me while he was here." she said. Roscoe blushed a little, smiling a bit. He wasn't prepared though when she leaned over and kissed his cheek, before leaving to go to the medical unit. 

* * * 

The lobby was quiet. 

A group of sprites sat, waiting. Waiting for some word of hope. AndrAIa was trying to remain calm, but it was a tall order. Alex had left, reluctantly and was ordered to take Sabrina with her, who adamantly refused to go. The game sprite was worried on so many levels and not hearing anything for the last several milliseconds was deleting her. She had to vidwindow Phong and tell him the news, hoping that the old sprite would hold off before telling Bob and Dot, but now it seemed as there was no choice. 

They would have to know. 

And that was the least of the game sprite's concerns. She didn't want to believe it could be true, even _think_ that Matrix could be gone, taking Enzo with him. Just as Matrix would shut down and have a system crash if something ever happened to her, AndrAIa knew she couldn't cope if she lost him, both of them. She and Matrix were like ying to a yang, two halves of a heart brought together. She was that connected with him and he with her, that something like this could destroy her. AndrAIa shook her head. She couldn't just give up. She knew Matrix and Enzo. They were fighters and they wouldn't give up so easily. 

At least she hoped they wouldn't. 

Down the hall, Dr. Memo looked at his charts and sighed. He had come from checking the younger Matrix boy and found him in the same state his brother now lay in. He just couldn't understand it. One moment their recovering, the next they both slip into comas at roughly the same time. In all his hours as a doctor, he had never seen anything like that before. And worse, there was nothing he could do. It was up to them now if they would be able to fight back, but he had been through this before. 

He knew it was only a matter of time. 

* * * 

"We're stuck in here, aren't we?" 

Enzo sat on the floor, his knees to his chest and his head resting on his arms. The brothers had run out of options and out of places to go. Matrix stood, trying to calm himself. He didn't know what to say. He himself was feeling hopeless in the situation. And feeling pangs of his past starting to crept into his processor. It had been, at least to him and AndrAIa, ten hours before they escaped their prison of games. He wasn't sure if he could spend even another milli in this place. It was driving him random, to his very breaking point. His brother looked up and could feel a shut down coming over the renegade. 

"Matrix..." 

The big sprite barely heard the guardian, his fists bawling in a fit of anger. 

"Matrix, if you don't calm down, you're gonna have a system crash." Enzo replied, watching his brother get angrier by the nano. "Matrix?" he called. "Bro, stay frosty, kay? You're getting all hot and bothered over there. Come here, take a load off your feet and..." 

"I'm not getting stuck in here." he murmured. 

"Hey, I'm sure there's a door out around here somewhere." Enzo joked. He nervous laughter soon died down though, as he thought about what he had said. There were no doors. No windows. No exits. They were trapped. 

"I'm not getting stuck in here." Matrix repeated, this time slightly louder. 

Enzo shook his head, in sadness and bewilderment. "He's lost it." he said to himself, watching as his brother's temper was rising. "He's lost it for sure now." The young guardian looked around, realizing there wasn't much for his brother to be taking his frustration out on. "Crash." he mumbled. "I'd better move." 

"I'm not getting trapped in here!" Matrix shouted. 

"Yep, he's just gone nuts. It's official now." 

"I'm not about to become trapped in my own FAQing mind!" 

"Man, I thought it be hours before he went all crazy like this." Enzo mused, taking cautious steps towards his ranting brother. "Know what you need?" he asked tenderly. "A nice bubble bath. Yep. I bet that would just make you feel all warm and squishy inside. Yeah?" 

Matrix was already mad at the predicament, but to have Enzo whining about bubble baths and warm squishy feelings was starting to irk him as well. 

"Cool down, Bro." Enzo said, trying to reassure the big guy. "All we need is a way out and..." 

As soon as Enzo said it, a light could be seen shining off to their side. It was a soft, white light, but still gave illuminous rays in the surrounding darkness. 

"What an unbelievable, yet unexpected, coincidence." Enzo replied, looking at the light. 

"That's our ticket out of here." Matrix grinned, his anger suddenly fading away. As he started to move forward, Enzo held him back. 

"Hey, wait a nano." he said. "Didn't Phong say when a sprite goes to meet their processor, they're supposed to step into a bright, white light? Don't you think we should just frost for a bit here?" 

"That could be the only way out of here, Enzo!" Matrix exclaimed. "Do you want to be stuck here forever and ever? I sure don't. I say we go." 

Enzo gulped, shunning away from his brother's intense gaze. He knew he was right, but still. That could mean their deletion too. Relucntantly, he followed as his brother went towards the light. 

* * * 

Vance McMillan sat in his former office, the office that would again be his as soon as Viper won against Kit. The seedy owner smiled. He was booking the match now and sending out invitations to all the stock holders and everyone in the system and then some. He wanted a crowd to witness the destruction of the boy and his family and his rise back to the top. _Puny good guys,_ he thought. Evil and sin would always win in the end. That rhymed. Smirking, he looked at the arrangements. It was going to be a great fight. A combination of hardcore, street fight, and Iron Man matches. 

Kit wouldn't make it out alive. 

The hardcore aspect meant any and everything could be used. Tables, bats, chairs, whips, chains, weight belts...Vance supplied it all for the match. The street fight meant that anything goes, but for this match, there would be a disqualification if someone from Kit's corner made an appearance to help him. Viper on the other hand...Vance chuckled. Then the Iron Man match. Such a wonderful invention. Two fighters go in for 60 microseconds, roughly one millisecond of fighting. Whoever is left standing at the end is the winner. With all three types of matches happening in this bout... 

Kit Lan didn't stand a chance. 

* * * 

"Doctor, he's coming out of it!" 

Dr. Memo rushed into the elder Matrix brother's room to find him stirring slightly. Memo sighed in relief. He was afraid he'd have to tell the sprites outside that he was far too gone to be saved. But the thing that really struck him was the fact that he came out of it so fast. It usually took sprites minutes, even hours to recover from the head trauma the brothers received and leave their imprisoned processors. But, looking at his watch, it had taken Matrix a little under four millies to recover. Another thing he wondered was how could both brothers slip away like that, within nanos of each other? Remarkable. 

He would have to ask later, but for now, he wanted to go check on the youngest Matrix boy. 

* * * 

"Hey." 

"Hey yourself." 

AndrAIa sat next to the bed that housed her husband in a chair she had stolen from Enzo's room. She gave Matrix's hand a little squeeze as he opened his eyes to see her. "You do know how to scare a girl." she quipped. She kissed his cheek and whispered, "I didn't think you'd be coming back." 

"Ye of little faith." he joked, his voice horse from lack of liquid. "I'm sorry I broke my promise. But..." 

"You had to." she replied. "I know. I'm not mad. As long as you're okay." 

"How's Enzo?" 

"Still asleep." AndrAIa said. "But Dr. Memo says he should be awake a little later." She sat stroking his hair, afraid she would never have the chance again. 

"What's wrong?" he asked, seeing her facial expression. 

"You know me like a read-me." she smiled. It quickly vanished though when she looked at him. "The UFL has one more match tomorrow night." 

"Why don't I like the sound of that?" he mumbled. 

"This is even worse." she replied, somberly. "I think one of the kids is going for Viper's title."   


**Chapter 15 - Iron Man Match**

Tension. 

Fear. 

Compassion. 

Pain. 

Laughter. 

Evil. 

A variety of emotions ran through the crowd in the building that afternoon. You could feel the tension in the air as those that knew the two fighters fretted over their safety. The fear came from one of those fighters, who stood in the back area, pacing restlessly. The compassion was felt in the heart and seen in the eyes of one girl in the crowd, who hoped that said fighter knew what he was doing. Pain came from two spectators, still suffering from their ordeal at the hands of the owner's cohorts. Laughter came from those cohorts, a one of their own headed out into the ring. The evil emulated from the announce booth, as the second announcer smiled at the proceeding energy bath. 

"Ladies and gentlemen!" called the announcer. "Welcome to perhaps the last bout in the UFL!!" 

The crowd booed at that prospect. 

"This fight will determine whether the UFL stays in business or not." the announcer continued. "This fight is an Iron Man match. The rules are, there are no rules. The fighters will fight for 60 microseconds and it will consists of a hardcore/street fight, where any and everything goes." 

"What?" cried a small group of watchers. 

"When did he decide that?" asked Sabrina. 

"You didn't know?" AndrAIa asked. 

"This is news to us." Kit responded. The boy turned his attention back to the ring, knowing how close he had been to being in serious trouble. His thoughts soon drifted to the boy that had taken his place in this match. His friend, who it now seemed who incur the wrath that had been meant for him. 

In the back area, Roscoe also heard the announcer and was even more panicked then before. If he thought a rather normal fight would be tough, he was now presented with an even tougher battle ahead. A hardcore match was worse, so was a street fight, but to have both combined into a single match, one that was an Iron Man match didn't hold out any possibilities that this would be a fair fight. 

He was having second thoughts. 

"This was supposed to be a title match between Kit and Viper." Vance replied, looking out over the audience. Spotting the boy, he continued with, "But Kit chickened out at the last nano, insisting that his replacement, Roscoe Bettyoskin, do the job himself." 

Kit looked up and glared at the former owner. 

"That's right, Vance." the announcer said. "So now, it'll be Roscoe vs. Viper for the Web Championship belt!" 

"This isn't looking good, is it Dad?" Sabrina asked. 

Matrix shook his head, the slight pain of a headache hitting him. "Not at all." 

"This bout is an Iron Man Match!" cried the referee. "Entering first, the challenger, ROSCOE BETTYOSKIN!" 

The small group of sprites cheered as a nervous Roscoe walked out. His eyes locked immediately on Sabrina, who smiled and yelled his name. Kit noticed the shared look and smirked, causing Sabrina to glare at him. 

"Entering next, he is the UFL Web Champion, VIPER!" 

Viper entered, with Joey Numbers and Double D by his side, grinning sadistically as Viper held the title over his head as the crowd applauded enthusiastically. Viper handed the title to the ref and looked down at Roscoe. "Annoying little shit." he spat. "What happened? Kit had to run to mommy for his diaper? I don't see your little bitch with the nails." 

"You watch what you say about her." Roscoe growled. "About both of them." 

"Oooh." Viper taunted, to the delight of Joey and Double D. "What're you gonna do about it? Huh, Roscoe? Whatcha gonna do? You can't do jack. You're just a little orphan brat from the streets. I wouldn't be surprised if your parents left you on purpose." 

That caused Viper and his cronies to start laughing, much to Roscoe's annoyance. Placing his leg back, he delivered a well placed kick to Viper's groin, causing the fighter to go to his knees. Joey and Double D started after the boy as he ran around the ring. Roscoe managed to get a baseball bat that sat in wait. Taking a blind swing, it collided with Double D's side, causing the young fighter to scream in pain and fall to the ground. Joey came prepared, picking up the 4x4 wrapped with barbed wire at the top. The two battled like a sword fight, until Roscoe was able to knock the piece of wood from the fighter's hands. The bat hit Joey's shoulder, abling Roscoe to get a kick and deliver a DDT. 

"Young Roscoe seems to have the upper hand right now." the announcer commented, much to Vance's disapproval. 

Roscoe looked around at his damage and smiled. He was doing all right. "Roscoe, watch out!" cried Kit and Sabrina. The warning wasn't heard and came too late. As Roscoe turned, he was punched and reeled backwards from the blow. Viper came out him with full force, punching the boy every way which and finally getting him towards the ropes. Looking up at the group of sprites, his large hand smacked hard against Roscoe's bare chest, causing the lad to scream. Viper repeated the move four move times before stepping back to watch the boy wither in pain. 

Roscoe held his chest in pain, trying to recover from the slaps across his chest. He tried looking up to find where Viper had gone, but a sudden pain to his back stopped him and he fell back to the ground. Viper had grabbed the heavy weight belt from the side and was using it like a whip against Roscoe's back, leaving dark red welts. Viper continued beating the boy, his screams only encouraging the large sprite further. Looking around, he found the actual leather whip. "See what you get when you cross me." he taunted to the group of sprites as he again beat on Roscoe's back. 

Enzo watched as Kit and Sabrina glared intently at the match, watching as their friend was being beaten to a literal pulp. Both of their hands were gripped tightly on the railing in front of them. Enzo didn't want anything to happen to them, more less the railing they were more or less strangling. He went up behind them, laying a hand on each of their shoulders. "Calm down." he whispered. "Kit, you're going to burn a hole through this railing and I don't think you're gonna be able to put this thing to sleep, Bri." 

"But Enzo..." Sabrina started, but was stopped. 

"I know." he said. "But Roscoe made his choice to do this, for you guys. He'll be all right." 

"He had better be." the two chorused, not even realizing they had said the same thing. 

Back in the arena, Roscoe wasn't fairing too well. The beatings with both the weight belt and the leather strap had left him weak and reeling. He knew Viper was looking for another weapon in order to hurt him with and the boy needed to find one of his own fast. Ahead of him, he could see the sledge hammer, not more than a few inches from him. If he could just reach it, he'd be able to defend himself. Viper, meanwhile, was folding up a chair and was walking over to Roscoe. Seeing the boy reaching for the sledge hammer, he patiently watched and waited as Roscoe tried to inch his way to the weapon. Right as the weapon was nearly in his grasp, Viper hit him with the chair, stopping the motion. 

Viper laughed as Roscoe lay on the ground, his hand barely touching the hammer. The fighter threw the chair to the side and began looking for the barbed wire stick. Finding it under Joey's unmoving body, he turned and started walking towards the spot where Roscoe should've been. But wasn't. Viper stood confused for a nano until something slammed into the back of his knee, tearing vital tendons and causing him to fall to the ground. Behind him, Roscoe stood, breathing heavily. In a moment of strength, he was able to grabbed the sledge hammer and get behind Viper, as he took his time stalking the boy. 

"Both fighters are down!" cried the announcer. "It looks like Roscoe used all his energy just to get big Viper down." 

"True," Vance replied, his anger rising. "But I think Viper will be getting up faster than Roscoe at this point." 

"And it's only be about fifteen micros, folks!" 

"Another forty-five micros of this." Matrix muttered. "I hope Roscoe can hang that long." 

"I have some strong reservations." Kit mumbled, watching the action take place below. 

Roscoe lay on the ground, trying to catch his breath. It had taken a great deal of energy just to make it from one side of the ring to the other. He was debating about getting up when a large shadow fell over him. "I'm going to delete you, you little FAQ!" it screamed and held the barbed stick over it's head. Roscoe's eyes bulged as he quickly rolled to one side, just as the stick came down hard on the ground. 

The boy scrambled and ended up against the ropes. Viper was limping towards him, stick in hand. Roscoe's hand quickly felt around, looking for a weapon he could use. He looked out and saw the sledge hammer laying where he had left it, wishing it was near for him right now. He quickly reached out and grabbed what he could. As Viper got closer, Roscoe swung his arm, thee object hitting Viper's already injured knee. The fighter tripped and fell, trying to grab on to something. Instead of grabbing, the large sprite found himself tangled up in the ropes themselves. 

Roscoe looked at Viper, struggling to get from the ropes, and then looked down at his hand. He smiled brightly. In his hands were a pair of black nunchucks. Looking up and smiling, he approached Viper cautiously, before striking the sprite's sides with the nunchucks. Roscoe began a beating of his own, an assault on Viper's sides and stomach. The boy was doing well, until he was grabbed from behind. An arm snaked around his throat and another one grabbed the nunchucks from him. Roscoe realized in horror that Joey and Double D were back on their feet, with Joey holding him and Diamond Dan trying to get Viper free from the ropes. 

"What the...?" Sabrina exclaimed. 

"This is supposed to be a disqualification match!" Enzo cried. 

"Apparently not when comes to Viper." AndrAIa muttered angrily. 

"We gotta stop them." Kit huffed, his breathing increasing. 

"How?" Matrix asked. "You know _we're_ gonna be stopped from interfering. And who knows? If we get involved, Roscoe loses and the UFL stays in business." 

"But this isn't fair!" cried the boy. 

"The UFL isn't supposed to be fair, Kit." Matrix replied softly. "Surely _you_ know that first hand." 

Kit turned in anger. Of course he knew how unfair this supposed "business" was, but it still didn't make him feel any better towards the treatment of his friend right now. But all he could do was seethe in anger. He knew Matrix to be right. The interference would be legal for Viper, but if they tried it, the match would be over and Roscoe would be disqualified. Down below, Viper had been freed and his two bullies were holding a struggling Roscoe bu the arms. Viper walked up to him, a sneer on his lips. He slapped the boy in the face and punched him hard in his already hurting gut. Then, picking up the nunchucks, he began repaying Roscoe, using the nunchucks expertly on the youth's sides. 

Laughing, the three stopped their torment on the boy and let him. Roscoe fell to the ground, holding his sides, and crying softly. He wasn't going to make it out of this. There was no way he could. Viper looked down at the helpless boy, waving off his friends. "I'll finish him." he said. "Just bring me a table." Walking around the boy, Viper taunted and kicked him, laughing sadistically as the crowd ~most of them~ cheered him on. Joey and Double D brought a table and then another one and stacked it on top of the first. Viper picked the boy, who was clearly on the verge of unconsciousness. 

Lifting him over his head, Viper proceeded to do his worst finisher, The Sting, his own version of a rake pancake. He kept Roscoe in the head before finally turning him around and taking him to the ground, Roscoe's face and chest landing hard on the dirty floor. All Roscoe could see were stars. He choked briefly on the energy that was now flowing from his broken nose. He just wanted it to be over. The small group of sprites watched as Roscoe lay still, though they could see his chest rise and fall. Even they knew the boy was in trouble. Even if Viper won, he wasn't about to let the boy live. 

Viper, too, lay on the ground, holding his knee from where Roscoe had hit him. The weight of the boy had caused even more pain to his already damaged leg. But Viper was the first to get up, anger boiling over as he looked down at the adolescent. Roscoe opened his eyes, trying his best to get up and fight back, but Viper grabbed him and hauled him over to the tables. Putting his head between his legs, Viper set him up for a powerbomb, like the one that had taken out Matrix in the alley. But he wasn't just going to hurt Roscoe. He had already done that. 

He was going to make an example of him. 

Lifting him in the air, Viper teetered a bit, trying to find a more comfortable way of standing. It left time for Roscoe to regain his bearings somewhat and to begin hitting Viper in the face. Kit noticed something shiny in the boy's hand and quickly recognized it to be a set of brass knuckles. The blows caused Viper to stagger and for Roscoe to get from the hold. Using the big sprite's dizzy movements, the teen was able to maneuver himself out of Viper's grasp and taking Viper's head in his hand, both sprites went through the two tables. 

For a nanos, everything was silent as both fighters lay on the ground. Shakily and out of breath, Roscoe grabbed on to the middle rope and staggered to his feet. The crowd roared, some in anger, most in joy. Vance could be heard screaming loudly as the referee came out and checked on Viper. The giant seemed to be knocked out. The referee raised Roscoe's hand and handed him the title and declared the fight over. After that, the teen just fell to the ground, clutching his prize in his hands.   


**Epilogue**

Roscoe awoke in a soft bed, with bright lights all around him. Slightly confused, he blinked repeatedly, trying to find out what was going on. He heard a voice speaking to him from his left side and moving his head slowly, he was able to make out a cute tanned sprite whispering to him. His vision clearing, his face broke into a smile when he recognized the face. 

"I was worried you weren't gonna to wake up." Sabrina whispered. 

"I never want to disappoint you." he said, breathing heavily. 

Someone clearing their throat brought the boy from his dreamy sighs and thoughts. Looking over, the boy recognized the sprite immediately. Standing tall and in a guardian uniform, the sprite walked forward towards the boy's bed. Sabrina saluted and the sprite replied, "At ease, Cadet." Roscoe shook his head, still cloudy. "Do you remember anything, son?" 

"The match..." Roscoe said, clearing his sore throat. "Did I win?" 

Sabrina smiled. User, he was adorable! "Yes, silly." she giggled, earning a look from Turbo. She coughed nervously and said, "Yes, of course you won. You're the new champ." 

"And I hope you don't plan on defending that title." Turbo replied sternly. 

"Oh no, sir!" the boy exclaimed. "That's something I would never do! I think I spent enough time in that hellhole." Realizing who he was talking to, Roscoe quickly said, "Sorry for my language, sir." 

Turbo laughed. "It's all right, son." he chuckled. "Just so you know where we stand on that sort of thing." Turbo went quiet as he admired the boy. "Cadet Matrix here says you put on one Net of a fight." 

Roscoe looked at Sabrina in surprised shock. "Cadet Matrix?!" he whispered, in awe. The girl blushed at the open gaped teen. 

"Cadet Matrix here thinks you'd be a fine guardian one second." Turbo continued, choosing to ignore the flirty looks between the two. "Would you consider that, Roscoe?" 

"You...you mean...be a guardian like you, sir?" he asked. 

Roscoe wasn't sure he was hearing right. The Prime Guardian, of the entire Guardian Academy, was asking him to join. Looking over at Sabrina for confirmation, she just blushed and flipped her hair behind her ear. The boy really didn't have to think about it. Sure, the UFL was bad, but he had a place to sleep and a roof over his head and some scraps of food. But this was the Academy. _The_ Academy! Soft beds like this, other normal sprites like him, three meals a second. Looking again at Sabrina, he found the number one reason for going. Learning she was a cadet made him like her even more. 

Turning back to Turbo, who was grinning like crazy, he declared, "Sir, it would be my utmost honor to join you and Cadet Matrix under the ranks of the Guardian Academy." 

Turbo laughed again and shook the boy's hand. "You were right, Cadet." he replied to Sabrina. "He is something special." With that, the Prime Guardian got up and left the room. 

Blushing, Roscoe asked, "You think I'm special?" 

"Well...yeah." Sabrina stuttered. "I mean, you took on Viper all by yourself and won. And...and you lived in the UFL for like a million days and you survived and everything. That's...that's pretty special." She cleared her throat slightly. "Don't...don't you think?" 

"Know what?" he asked, grinning. 

"What?" 

"I think you're special too." he said, turning to look at her. 

Sabrina's heart just started beating faster, looking into those gorgeous lavender eyes of his. Flipping her hair once more, she gulped, knowing what could possibly happen. Grabbing her hand, Roscoe pulled her closer, his need to kiss her overpowering any pain he could've been feeling at the time. Leaning down towards him, Sabrina watched as Roscoe closed his eyes and she followed suit... 

"Hey Bri, your mom wants...oops!" Alex called, walking in as the two pulled apart. Stifling a laugh at irony and de ja vu of it all, Alex cleared her throat. "Sorry." she said, trying to be sincere. "My timing needs a little work." 

"No, Alex." Sabrina smiled, sarcastically. "You're timing is impeccable!" 

Alex gulped, knowing she'd have to steer clear of the girl until they arrived home. "AndrAIa wanted me to find you." she said. 

"Right." Sabrina sighed, seeing her mother stop by the door. Turning to Roscoe, she said, "I'll see you when school starts again." 

"So am I really...?" the boy asked, still in awe. "I mean, is this like the real...?" 

Sabrina just smiled and winked before heading towards the door. As she walked out, Alex and AndrAIa gave the boy a knowing look before closing the door. Roscoe laid his head back and sighed. 

"I think I'm in love." 

"I think he's going to be okay, right?" Alex asked, as the three walked from the door. 

"I think so." AndrAIa replied, her eyes never leaving her daughter though. "AJ, you can go ahead and tell Matrix and Enzo we're ready." 

Alex nodded and headed down the hall. They group had made a hasty retreat away from Dudleyville after the win and quickly got Roscoe admitted to the Super Computer hospital, located in the Guardian Academy med ward. Still worried about their condition, AndrAIa and Alex had managed to talk their significant others into being looked at, "just to make sure." the girls had stressed. Now, as they walked the halls, ready for their departure back to Mainframe, AndrAIa figured now was good as ever to have some "girl talk". 

"Pretty brave thing for Roscoe to do, huh?" she said, noticing the far off look in her child's eyes. 

"Wasn't it?" the girl replied dreamily. 

AndrAIa just looked at Sabrina, who turned and looked at her. 

"Sabrina..." 

"AndrAIa." the girl retorted. 

This time, her mother just smiled, a knowing one at that, to which Sabrina exclaimed, "Mother!" AndrAIa continued to look at her daughter, until Sabrina relented. "Yeah, yeah." she muttered. 

"He is kinda cute." AndrAIa supplied. 

Again, Sabrina got all dreamy eyed. "Adorable." was her answer. 

* * * 

The trip back to Mainframe was a quiet one. Everyone was either too tired or too wrapped up in recent events to want to talk. A brief conversation between AndrAIa and Mouse convinced the hacker that things were okay, for now, and that if they needed anything to just call. Enzo and Alex were asleep on a small cot near the door, while Matrix sleepily awaited his wife's return to bed. Sabrina sat reading a comic byte, with Kit next to her, trying to catch up on missed homework. Looking over at his cousin, Kit could see the small signs of a smiles forming on he lips. 

"You like him, don't you?" he asked, grinning. 

Sabrina tried to hide the smile that was clearly forming by saying, "I don't know what you're talking about." 

"Roscoe." he replied. "You like him." 

"Of course, I _like_ him." she said, matter of factly. "He did kinda risk his life in order to save us and destroy the UFL at the same time. He's very brave. A very good kid." 

"Uh huh." he said, going back to his homework. "Is that why you called Turbo to come down?" 

"I just thought he just check out a prospective cadet, that's all." 

"Of course." Kit replied, nodding. "Is that also why you never left his side until he woke up?" 

"What're you? The Binome Inquisition?" Sabrina cried, putting her comic down. Realizing she was creating a scene, she composed herself and said, "I like helping people. You know that." 

The two were silent, both going back to their prospective reading. All was quiet until murmured, "You guys do a cute couple." 

Sabrina, always ready with a retort, was silent and asked, "Really?" 

The little ship, with its passengers, arrived in Mainframe at morning light. Thinking of coming in quietly was quickly dashed as they saw what looked to be all of Mainframe out in the open. Standing at the front of it all, was of course, Mike the TV, doing an exclusive. Kit couldn't help but grin, seeing the small television set, trying to get a story from the sprites who were ignoring him. His eyes though clearly locked on the family he had missed for the better part of almost a minute. When the ship docked, he was the first out. He was hoping to get a hug from his parents when he was nearly tackled by something small and green. 

"Kit! Kit!" called two little voices. 

"Hey, watch it!" he laughed, lifting his sister in the air and grabbing a hold of Jet's hand. 

"Where'd you go?" 

"What you bring us?" 

"Are you leaving again?" 

"What you bring us?" 

"Can we come next time?" 

"What you bring us?" 

Kit laughed as he led his siblings back over to their parents. Bob smiled at the boy, doing a quick glance to see if he was okay. He kissed his mother on the cheek and whispered, "Sorry I'm late. Traffic was murder." 

Dot chuckled and hugged her eldest son. "Welcome home." she said. 

As the citizens in Mainframe enjoyed a homecoming, somewhere else, a very bitter sprite stood in his office. Out of the group of sprites he had assembled, only two stood near his desk, too shaken to say anything. "Do you see what happens when people cross me?" Vance asked to no one in particular. Asia and Pete nodded, looking as their comrades began fading away from sight. Vance resubmitted the gun into his desk drawer and sat down in his chair. 

"Okay." he said. "Where can we begin again?" 

**END**

  
  
  
  
  



	11. Deleted Scenes, part 1

**Deleted Scenes**

**part one**

  
  


Hey everyone! Welcome to the chapter most of y'all have been waiting for. The deleted scenes! This is the chapter where you can read the scenes I either forgot to put into the stories you've just read or I didn't think they would fit. This is part one of the deleted scenes. Let's get started, huh? Okey dokey! For our first deleted scene, I wanna take you back to the third installment, Memories Are Made of This: Chapter Eleven entitled Collisions, Sabotage, and Deletion. This scene was supposed to be a part of the last scene, where Dot barely escapes deletion. Let's take you back: Dot has slipped from reality, as her family now realizes. Kit, distraught over this turn of events, accidentally unleashes his anger in a form of an energy wave through his mother. Convinced he has killed her, naturally everyone is in shock and sadness. But the young commander had some fight left in her and the blast only seems to have brought her back. 

**This next scene was supposed to give a some what plausible explanation as to why she was able to fight for so long...**

Bob smacked himself in the forehead. How could he be so basic! "That's why she's still fighting the infection." he murmured, shaking his head. He couldn't believe he hadn't thought of this before. 

"Whatcha talkin' about, Bob?" Mouse asked. 

"Dot has part of my code." Bob stated to the confused looks. 

"So you mean there's something in the guardian codes that stops the infection?" AndrAIa asked. 

"I guess so." Bob murmured, glancing at his wife, still laying in bed. "The Guardian protocol is supposed to have some form of anti-viral protection within it. I can only assume that if these bugs are really some how linked to Daemon, they must be viral as well." 

"So that's how she's been holding on." Enzo replied. "She's been fighting this whole time." 

"It doesn't stop it, merely takes a defensive stance." Bob turned to look at Kit. "Though I'm not sure how..." 

"You mean I saved Mom's life?" Kit asked. He had gone from his mother's killer to his mother's savior all in the span of five nanos. 

"Well, you certainly gave her a wake up call, Sugah." Mouse said, patting the boy on the back. 

"Then she's gonna be okay." Enzo said, a smile coming to his face. 

"Not for long." The doctor jumped in. They were all getting way too excited... 

**A beit a small scene, but one with an explanation. The next scene was supposed to be immediately after that. If you recall, the scene now ends with the finding of extra antitoxin and the exclamation that everyone is heading home. Well, in my original thoughts for this, I had planned a sweet and touching scene between Bob and Kit, taking place after the scene you've just read...**

A few microseconds later, Kit found himself outside on the ramada table, just sitting and thinking. He was still worked up about the whole deleted, not deleted event that had just taken place. He had just came face to face with a loved one's near deletion experience, something he never wanted to go through again. He also came to the conclusion he didn't want to be in the situation that nearly deleted his own mother. 

Looking down at his hands, he realized what a blessing and what a curse he had within him. He was special. No other kid in any other system could possibly do what he could. But then again, he didn't want too be special. He wanted to be a regular kid, like the other regular kids that...Kit shook his head. There were no other kids in Mainframe except his immediate smaller family members and maybe five to seven others, most boys around his age or younger. 

Kit bent his head, the urge to cry again starting to overtake him. 

"This seat taken?" 

Kit quickly wiped his eyes and looked up to see his father smiling at him. "Sure, Dad." he said, a bit shaky. 

Bob sat down next to his son, on the bench so he could look Kit in the eye. "I was kinda worried about you." he said. "After, you know." 

"Yeah." Kit sighed. "I had to get some air. Things went by so fast, you know?" 

"Yeah, I know." the guardian whispered. Turning to face Kit, the guardian replied, "You know I'm proud of you, Bobby. How ever you did it, you saved her life." 

"Then why do I feel so scared?" Kit asked. 

"We've been through a lot the last couple of seconds." Bob replied. "I was scared, too. Even now." 

Kit looked over at him. "You're scared now?" he asked. 

"Sure." Bob chuckled. "I almost lost my wife, the mother of children. The woman I love more than life itself. And on top of that, it looked like I could've lost you too. Matrix and Enzo both looked like they would shut down at any nano. Even now, what if that antitoxin isn't enough to bring Dot around? Mainframe's in big trouble and we're not there and I think you know no one's leaving until Dot's okay." 

Kit sighed and looked down at his hands. 

"You have a real gift, Christopher." Bob whispered. "No other kid can do what you do." 

The boy just continued staring at the objects of conflict. 

"I know this whole thing hasn't set well with you since you found out about them." his father continued. "I know you've been trying to ignore them and well...as you know, when you get angry..." Bob sighed, knowing the full extent of what his sacrifice had done to his children. "You gotta control it, Kit. Even if you never use them again, at least learn how to control them, that way if your temper flares, they won't get the best of you. But it's your choice. I'm not going to force you to use your powers if you don't want to." 

Kit glanced at his father. He seemed hopeful that Kit's answer would be yes, even Kit wanted to say yes. Even if he still had some resentment of the awesome power he harnessed, he wanted to be able to at least control and use it for good. Bob was right. When Kit got worked out, his powers came out and he couldn't control them as effectively like his father could. Besides, knowing the bugs were now in Mainframe, Kit wanted to be able to fight to get rid of them. 

"I wanna be able tot control them, Dad." he said. "I wanna know more about them." 

**The next deleted scene takes place in the Beginnings Arcs, specifically Arc 2: The Christopher Lan Story. I actually put some of this deleted scene in the story, but it had been meant for the next arc. This is the whole scene, deleted from the third arc, practically found in chapter three: And Baby Makes Three...******

"Where'd the baby come from, Daddy?" Kit asked, turning to look at Bob. 

"From AndrAIa's tummy." Bob replied. 

The boy looked at the baby, then AndrAIa, then back at the baby. 

"Well, how did it get in there?" the little boy asked. 

All the color drained from the guardian's face as he realized the situation he was now in. And the mere fact that Matrix, Dot, and Enzo were snickering and laughing at him didn't help matters any either. "Uh..." he stammered. "Well...um...uh...why don't you ask Mommy?" 

"Oh no you don't!" Dot laughed. "He asked you to explain. So go ahead, Daddy." 

"Yeah, Bob." Matrix snickered. "We'd all like to hear this." 

Bob cleared his throat, trying hard to explain something he hoped wouldn't come up until the child was at least 1.4 hours old, and with the added attention he was now getting from the others in the room. "Come with me, Kit." Bob said, leading the boy out of the room. "We'll go have guy talk, okay?" 

At that, everyone broke out laughing. 

Once outside, Bob sat in a nearby chair, with Kit standing in front of him, his little face scrunched up in confusion. "You see, Bobby..." he started. "When a Mommy and Daddy love each other, they decide they want to start a family, they...see they come to a decision that they...okay, see, when Mommy and I wanted to have you, we...we got together...and you got inside Mommy's tummy." 

"But how does the baby get_ inside _the tummy?" 

"I'm...I'm...I'm getting to that." Bob said. "See...when we...your mother and I...got together...okay, see before you were born, you were growing inside Mommy's stomach." 

"Daddy," the boy asked, more confused than ever and presently wondering where his mother was. "If I'm growing in Mommy's tummy, how am I out here?" 

"No, no." Bob replied, struggling with this whole topic. When he had told Enzo this story, it seemed much easier. "You are not   
growing in Mommy's tummy. You came from Mommy's tummy, okay? See, when Mommy and I wanted to have you, we...um..." 

_Where is Mommy?_

"And then, you were made. _Inside _Mommy's tummy." Bob finished. "Do...do you understand now?" 

"Yes, Daddy." the boy nodded, giving his father a hug. 

_Thank the User he understands, _Bob thought, returning the hug. 

I_ have no idea what this man just told me,_ Kit thought. _I've already forgotten it._   
  
  
  
  
****   
  
  
  



	12. Deleted Scenes, part 2

**Deleted Scenes**

**part two**

  
  
  
  
  


Hey again, readers! Hope you guys enjoyed the first part of the deleted scenes. The reason I made two chapters for it is the reason you'll witness now. This part of the deleted scenes is hella long! So hope you'll enjoy! Okay, now on to our first scene. This scene was supposed to take place in the third Beginnings arc: The Sabrina Matrix Story. I believe in chapter three, when Sabrina is first initialized, this scene was supposed to be where the current scene is. Let's back space, huh? The current scene is of AndrAIa going into labor in the Principal Office, while Matrix and Enzo argue over who's going to do what. 

**This scene was supposed to be the "labor scene" something every funny comedy has, as well as a funny story. This scene starts as Bob and Dot help Andri out of her seat and start heading to the Medical Unit...**

AndrAIa was in an incredible amount of pain. As of now, she sat into a wheelchair, as a group of energetic sprites pushed her down the hall. 

"Don't worry, babe." Matrix replied, running along side of her. "I'll be right there for you. If you need anything, I'll get it. Anything at all, babe. I swear. I'm gonna start this whole thing out right. I love you so much, sweetie. I can't believe..." 

The sound of his voice stopped, as did Bob and Enzo. AndrAIa had turned to look and saw her darling, but extremely clumsy, husband run face first into the door jam and fall to the floor. "User, Enzo, are you okay?" she exclaimed, watching as he jumped back up. 

"I'm fine, I'm fine." he said, shaking it off. "I'll go get dressed and I'll see you in there, okay?" 

AndrAIa nodded slowly. "Are you sure you're...?" 

"I swear. I'm fine." 

The paramedics continued down the hall with the game sprite, Dot following right behind them. As soon as they were gone, Matrix screamed in pain, holding his face with both hands. 

A short time later, and an ice pack for his now puffy eye, Matrix and Bob found themselves in AndrAIa's room. Dot stood by a monitoring machine, watching as printouts seeped from the mouth. "Don't worry, Dre." Bob replied, smiling at his sister. "Matrix and I are right for you." 

"Thanks, Bob." she whispered, a slight pain making her terribly uncomfortable. 

"No file, baby sister." Bob said, smiling, and taking her hand. "If you feel any pain, you just give my hand a little squeeze, okay?" The game sprite nodded, taking deep breaths. 

"Dot, what're you doing?" Matrix asked, walking over to his sister. 

"Read out sheets." she murmured. "They monitor and rate the time and length of her contractions. Pretty cool, actually. You can tell if a small one is coming or a big one." Reading over them again, she said, "Bob, I'd let go if I were you." 

As Bob turned to ask her what she meant, AndrAIa did an intake of breath. "Another one?" Bob asked. 

As she nodded her head, she started to squeeze Bob's hand. The guardian also did an intake of breath, as his began experiencing horrible pain. "Ow, ow, ow!" he said, slowly sinking to his knees as he tried loosening his hand from her deletion grip. "Let go." he begged. "Andri, let go!" 

"I told you to let go." Dot scolded, not turning around to view the scene. 

The small binome doctor, Dr. Dell, walked in happily. "Ah, AndrAIa." he practically sang, seeing his patient ready for delivery. "How are you, my dear?" 

"I'm feeling freakin' great right now, thanks!" she grunted, sarcastically. 

Dell nodded, knowingly. "Yes." he said. "You might be experiencing a little discomfort." 

"No Doc." Bob replied, from his painful position on the floor. "I'm feeling a little discomfort. I think she's about to explode here." 

"Right." he said, clapping his hand together. "Let's go get us a baby." 

"I'd watch what you say in the presence of my wife." Matrix growled, his eye turning red. 

"Of course, Mr. Matrix." the doctor relented. Out of the members he treated in this family, Matrix and Dot were the only ones he called 'mister' and 'misses'. "Now, AndrAIa, how're we feeling?" 

AndrAIa just glared at the doctor. 

"I see." he gulped, getting ready for the procedure. "Let's get this over with." he muttered to himself. 

The initialization process was not a pretty one. Several times, the game sprite had said things, bold and unbelievable things no one had ever heard from her before, most directed at her husband. At one point, AndrAIa had used so many expletives, Matrix himself had to cover his ears. And then, when she had called him over and had grabbed his arm, she had inadvertently stuck him with her nails, causing him to pass out on the floor. 

Soon, after at least a millisecond, AndrAIa was too tired and in too much pain to continue. "Come on, Andri." Dot coaxed. 

"No." the game sprite cried. "I'm not pushing anymore. I'll just carry this baby for the rest of my life." 

"Come on, Angelfish." Matrix soothed. "You gotta push." 

"You shut up." she said, the anger she held being covered up by her tears. "This is all your fault. User help me, Enzo, you're going to pay for this. Mark my words, you're going to pay." 

Finally, with more words of encouragement, AndrAIa began pushing again, this time with success. Dell presented the proud parents with a baby girl. She had her mother's skin tone and her father's eyes, as well as his loud cry of distress... 

**This is the Matrix chapter here. lol The next scene was actually supposed to be a chapter on its own. I was in the process of starting the third arc when I saw the idea. The idea comes from an episode of "Baby Blues", the cartoon based on the comic strip. It currently can be seen on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim on Sunday nights. Anywho, this episode is about how Darryl and Wanda basically "con" their neighbor Rodney into watching their baby, Zoe, on a norm routine, as it seems only he can calm her. Watching it instantly made me think of putting Matrix and AndrAIa in the same kind of situation...**

The loud cry continued throughout the small apartment, as two weary sprite sat on the ground, trying to block out the sound. Even after two minutes, Sabrina Matrix's parents couldn't understand why the baby insisted on crying all the time. And every time they checked, there was nothing wrong. She wasn't wet, she wasn't hungry, she wasn't tired. She just wouldn't stop. Matrix and AndrAIa sat in front of her crib, wanting to cry themselves. This was the umpteenth night in the last two minutes they had listened to the baby cry. 

"Please..." Matrix begged, bouncing the baby in his arms. "Please stop crying for Daddy." 

AndrAIa looked over at him, clearly seeing he was on the verge of tears. Though she loved their daughter with all her heart, she just wanted the child to be quiet. To stop crying so her parents could go to bed and enjoy the wonder slumber she was robbing them from. A few bounces more and the girl seemed to quiet down a bit. Both parents looked at each other, then at the baby as she slowly closed her eyes and began to drift. Matrix seemed to be ready to jump for joy, but AndrAIa put her finger to her lips. 

Quietly, they both got up and leaned into the crib, Matrix placing Sabrina on her mattress. They waited a few nanos, wanting to leave, but trying to figure out how to do it without waking her. Slowly and cautiously, they started to back away from the crib and started towards the door. Once in the hallway, they closed the door silently and waited. 

Nothing happened. 

The two couldn't help but giggle uncontrollably as they stood by the door. They had done it. They were free! Tiptoeing back to bed, they each got in and lay there, eyes closed, welcoming lost sleep. They had only started to doze off, when a loud buzzing sound emanated from the side table. Eyes opened, Matrix turned to see their alarm clock going off. It was time for them to get up and head to work. 

Depressed by the turn of events, Matrix started to cry. 

*** 

"So, just to be on the safe, I think we'll just break into teams and do a bit of searching." 

That morning, Dot had called the normal meeting in the command room of the Principal Office. Even though Daemon had been defeated, they still encountered a few of her guardian minions in some systems. As of now, Turbo was trying to cure the infected guardians, while trying to recruit for the next generation. Dot stood at the front, as she always had, with Bob and Phong on either side of her. A small toddler, sat on the floor next to her, coloring. Matrix sat in a chair next to AndrAIa, his head back and snoring slowly. AndrAIa, in an attempt to keep Dot from seeing her exhausted brother, had propped her head on her arm. Unfortunately, the gesture was far too comfortable and soon, the game sprite was also asleep. 

"I've already vidwindowed Ray and Mouse, who are on their way to a system called Viao." Dot continued. "Bob, I'm sure you can check in with Turbo to find out if anything is happening on that end." Bob nodded knowingly, knowing he would be asking about Enzo as well. "Matrix, AndrAIa, why don't you guys assemble the CPUs for a low grade search around her for anything suspicious? Guys? Are you listening to me? GUYS!" 

Both awoke with a start. 

"I'll get the bottle!" AndrAIa exclaimed. 

"I already changed her." Matrix pleaded. 

AndrAIa was the first to realize they were not where they thought they were. Looking around at the staff and the three sprites that looked at her, she knew they were in the Principal Office. "I'm sorry." she chuckled, a bit nervously. "You were saying?" 

"Are you two okay?" Bob asked, noticing they didn't seem to be all there. 

"We're fine." Andri said quickly. "We're fine. You had been saying?" 

"I asked if you were listening to me." Dot repeated. 

"Yes!" the game sprite exclaimed, slightly insulted. "Every word." 

"So you'll do it?" she asked. 

"Do what?" AndrAIa asked in confusion. "Oh, the thing!" she said, understanding and trying to cover her slip. "That...you want us to do. Yeah, sure, we'll do that. And just to remind everyone what that thing was...what...what was it?" 

"I asked if you two would do a small search around the city." Dot repeated, now growing increasingly concerned. "With the CPUs. Infected guardians." 

"Right." AndrAIa said. "Yeah, we'll do that, won't we? Matrix?" Turning, she found her husband, still sleeping. "Matrix!" 

"I already changed her!" The renegade spoke, sitting up straight in his chair. Looking around, he asked, "What?" 

"Change that." Dot said, looking at the two tired parents. "Bob, would you take the CPUs and do a search? Phong, call up Turbo. Matrix, AndrAIa, in my office. Now, please." 

Once in her office, Dot told the two to sit, their obvious slow walk to her office indicating they couldn't even walk, more less stand. "Are you sure the two of you are all right?" she asked, leaning back on her desk. 

"We're..." AndrAIa began, admist a yawn. "We're sorry, Dot. We're just extremely tired." 

"User, what time did you two go to bed?" 

Matrix thought about that for a few. "Two and a half minutes ago." he said. Seeing the look on his sister's face, he asked, "Oh, you mean today?" Dot nodded slowly. "Oh, well we haven't slept today. Or yesterday as a matter of fact." 

"That would explain your sudden nap during training procedures." Dot mused. "Look, you guys, if you want a few more seconds, even minutes off..." 

"Dot, we're fine, really." AndrAIa insisted. "It's just..." she stopped short, once to sigh and then to yawn. "She just doesn't stop crying. And every time we check her, she's fine. Completely fine! I mean...two minutes straight and she just won't stop crying." 

"It could be a number of things." Dot started, but immediately said, "That aren't serious!" when she saw their faces. "She could be teething or it's colic. The only thing you can do is just find out. Maybe you guys need a night to yourselves. Bob and I are more than happy to take Sabrina if you want." 

"It's a nice gesture, Sis." Matrix said. "But Enzo's coming back next cycle and I know he wants to spend time with her." 

"Maybe some other time." AndrAIa added. 

Dot nodded and gave her brother a smile. "Now you know what Mom and I had to go through with you." she smirked. 

*** 

Another night of "how to keep Sabrina quiet" went on at the Matrix apartment. Oddly, the night actually ended a little before the second rise. Matrix and AndrAIa lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling. They knew they couldn't go on like this. "You know we can't go on like this." Matrix sighed. 

"I know." 

"This is ruining our romance life." he continued. "We haven't...you know...for a while. A_ long _while." 

"I know." she said, a twinge of disappointment in her voice. "You wanna do it now?" 

"Do you?" 

She shrugged. "I asked you first." 

"I'd feel like a virus if I wanted you and you didn't want me." 

"Of course, I want you." she insisted. "So you want to?" 

"Of course I want to." he insisted. "Not being with you makes me random, you know that." 

She smiled in the dark. "And puts you in a foul mood, as well." she said. 

"I'll show you my mood." he said, turning towards her. 

At that moment, Sabrina began to cry. As Matrix moved away from his wife, the crying stopped. Reaching for her again... 

The baby started to cry. Pulling away... 

She stopped. 

Matrix lay on his side of the bed. "She's good." he observed. 

"Coincidence." AndrAIa muttered, not about to let a freak error ruin her 'fun'. "Hey Lover," she purred. "Weren't you going to show me something?" 

"I'm serious, AndrAIa." he said, looking at their bedroom door. "She's good." 

"Not as good as me." 

But even AndrAIa failed. As soon as she started inching closer to Matrix, their baby started crying. When she pulled away, the crying stopped. "See?" Matrix said. 

"She owns us, Enzo." the game sprite replied, shaking her head sadly. "She owns us." 

*** 

Enzo gave a sigh of relief, walking off of that transport and stepping on to solid, Mainframe ground. Granted he hadn't been away for that long, but still. Being away period always drove the boy mad. This was his home, his family, and not being able to see them for the amount of time he was gone was sheer torture. 

But now he was home and standing in the Mainframe hanger. He waited while the sprites he loved came to greet him. So far, only Phong and Bob walked over to him. "Hey, Little Man." he said, then laughed. "You're really not that little any more, huh?" Enzo had changed slightly in the minutes he had been gone. He had finally hit his growth spurt, though he still wasn't as tall as Bob or even Matrix for that matter. His hair was getting slightly longer, though he had a small braided ponytail in the back. 

Enzo laughed as well, his voice getting slightly deeper as he got older. "I'm still little." he said, looking around. "Hey, where is everybody? I thought I'd get a better welcome than this." 

The guardian laughed again, putting an arm around the teen's shoulders. "It's gonna take a while..." 

*** 

Later in the night, Enzo left from his former apartment and headed over to his brother's. He couldn't believe how big Kit had gotten since the last time he was there and now, he would be seeing his baby niece. How big had she gotten? At dinner, Dot and Bob had explained that the two hadn't been sleeping due to Sabrina's night long crying vigil. Enzo laughed, but then added he wouldn't do anything to put any undue pressure or stress on his older siblings. 

So when Enzo walked into the living room of his second home, he walked in to a situation that at the time he didn't know would be very beneficial. As he walked through the door, he heard the crying of Sabrina and noticed her parents were no where around. Heading for the the back bedroom, he found the family of three, AndrAIa holding the baby and bouncing in her arms, trying to soothe her. Matrix was trying to entertain her with a little stuffed bear, the one they had bought for her after she was delivered. 

"Hey." the teen replied, causing the two sprites to look at him. 

"Hey." AndrAIa replied, tiredly. "Look, sweetie. It's Uncle Enzo. Aren't you happy to see him?" 

The baby sniffed and cried louder. 

"I think that's a no." Matrix muttered. 

Enzo shook his head as he entered the room. He took Sabrina from the game sprite's tired arms. The baby fussed, but soon calm down as Enzo whispered to her and soothed her. Matrix and AndrAIa were completely stunned, but yet were incredibly happy. Matrix led his wife out by the arm so he could talk to her. He had an idea. A random, crazy, weird idea, but one that could work both ways... 

"Enzo, could Matrix and I see you out for a moment?" came AndrAIa's question. 

"Sure." the teen said, kissing his niece and laying her down in the crib, fast asleep. As he walked out and into the living, he was quickly seized by two parents on the edge. 

"Enzo," Matrix said, bringing the boy over. "My wife and I couldn't help noticing that you seem to have a...distinct way with our daughter." 

"You can make her stop crying." AndrAIa added. 

Enzo shrugged and said, "It's a gift." 

"A wonderful gift." 

"A tremendous gift." 

"Enzo," AndrAIa began. "Your brother and I have a slight...proposition to make you." 

The teen arched his eyebrow. "I'm listening." 

Suddenly, Matrix fell to his knees and grabbed the boy around his waist. "We're at the breaking point, Kid." he whimpered. 

"We're parents on the edge." AndrAIa sputtered, hugging the boy tightly. 

Enzo nodded, understanding the situation. "You're desperate." 

"Exactly." the two chorused. 

"We just need you to keep her quiet." Matrix said, looking up at his brother. 

"We'll give you anything, anything at all." the game sprite stated. 

"Anything?" 

"Within reason." his brother added. 

"Oh yes, of course." Enzo replied. "Mr. and Mrs. Matrix, consider your proposition as a deal." 

"Thank you, Enzo." 

"Thank you so much." 

"You're a good boy." AndrAIa said. "A kind boy. A generous boy." 

"Handsome." Matrix supplied. 

"A handsome boy." 

So, for the duration of Enzo's stay, he was the 'live in' babysitter at Matrix and AndrAIa's. And the plan seemed to be working. Not only was Sabrina getting to see her uncle, but Matrix and AndrAIa finally had time for themselves, which put them in an incredible mood during the cycle. And for Enzo's help, the two gave the boy...'reward' presents. 

The change in manner and behavior didn't go unnoticed by one member of the Matrix family. Dot Matrix, sister to all three co-conspirators, had noticed several differences since Enzo's return. Number one, Matrix and AndrAIa were much more affectionate and alert than they had previously and if either one was tired, it wasn't because the baby had kept them up. Secondly, Enzo seemed to be getting much more stuff than he had when he had gotten back. He had walked in one second, wearing a very expensive leather jacket, something that Dot and bob had planned to get him once his final semester came. 

"Like it?" he asked, as he and Matrix stood in front of her. 

"It's very nice." Dot said, looking at it. "Where'd you get it?" 

"Hey, nothing's too good for my little buddy." Matrix said, throwing an arm around his brother. 

Dot knew. Something was definitely up. 

So Dot decided that she, Bob, Mouse, and Ray would make a surprise visit at her brother's apartment. Inside said apartment, the occupants were recapturing their honeymoon when a knock came on the door. Matrix growled. "Things were just getting cozy, too." he said, making AndrAIa giggle underneath him. 

"Go answer the door, Lover." she said. "We can finish this later." 

"Like we usually do?" he asked, a coy smile on his face. 

The knocking continued. "Coming!" Matrix shouted, moving off the couch and his wife to head for the door. Opening it, they were both surprised to see four other sprites on the other side. "Hey." Matrix said, gulping. "It's...it's everybody. Look...sweetie. It's...everybody." 

"Hi." AndrAIa said, also seeming to be a bit nervous. "What're you guys doing here?" 

"Just thought we'd come bye and say hello." Dot replied, smiling. "And maybe see the baby." 

"The baby?" both asked. 

"That's right, darlin's." replied Mouse. "Now, are you gonna make us stand out here all night or could we come in and a seat?" 

Matrix and AndrAIa hesitated for a bit, then finally gave a nervous chuckle and let the group in. They sat in the living room, talking about various events that had happened and Mouse began to tell a rather racy joke she had heard while in a neighboring system. The noise had started to rise and didn't seem to quiet, until Enzo emerge from the back room, exclaiming, "Hey, keep it down out here! Sabrina and I are trying to sleep. Geez..." With that, the boy went back to his shared room with the baby. 

The room was quiet, as four sprites looked at two sprites, who tried to think up a reason for the sight they just showed. "We can explain." Matrix started. 

"We can explain this." 

"Go on." Dot said. 

"See...we 'enlisted' Enzo's help in watching Bri so that we could get some sleep and stuff like that." AndrAIa said. 

"See, cause he's able to keep her happy and quiet." Matrix added. 

Dot nodded and replied, "So basically, you're saying you've extorted our baby brother into sleeping with your daughter so that the two of you can get rest and relaxation. While on that same token, he is extorting_ you _by taking gifts and presents for his services." 

"Well, when you say it all negative like that...it sounds...negative." AndrAIa said. 

"Have you guys thought about what this could do to Enzo or even Sabrina?" asked Bob. 

Matrix and AndrAIa looked at each, trying to form a mental picture of the damage... 

_It was like a scene from the Sound of Music. The four of them: Matrix, the father, AndrAIa, the mother, Sabrina, the precious baby, and Enzo, the hired nanny, romping around in bright green fields, dancing on water fountains, singing while riding zipboards...___

"I'm not sure I see the damage here..." Matrix started. 

"Me either." AndrAIa agreed. 

"Think harder." Dot suggested. 

_The scene was of the Mike Show stage, where Mike was sitting next to a young girl. She had a spiked mohawk and was sitting next to an older sprite with a nose ring attached to his earring. "Tell me, Sabrina," Mike was saying. "How do your parents feel about this odd arrangement?"___

_"I wish I could tell ya." the girl huffed. "They left Enzo here with me and I haven't seen them since. But I'll tell you what, when I get my hands on them..."___

_"I wanna delete them!" cried the adultish, overweight Enzo.___

_"I'm gonna do it!"___

_"Over my deleted body!"___

_"Fine!"___

"Dear User, Enzo." AndrAIa breathed, the horrible scene playing out in front of her. "What've we done?" 

*** 

Enzo stood in his room ~at Matrix and AndrAIa's~ packing. He was leaving in the morning and wanted to spend the night with Bob, Dot, and Kit. Then Matrix would go back with him to the Super Computer. The renegade was up for teaching duty again, this time asked by Turbo, and figured he might as well go along with Enzo. "Hey." 

Enzo smiled and turned. "Hey yourself, Big Me." 

Matrix walked over and leaned against the wall. "We're not going back to that, are we?" he asked. "You're getting way to big to be called small fry." 

The teen laughed, still packing. 

"Sorry Andri and I got you involved in this whole mess." 

"It's cool." the teen replied. "Dot wasn't too happy about the whole extortion thing and I had to give back all my stuff." 

"Even the jacket?" Matrix asked. He had gotten that because he knew Enzo wanted it. If anything, he would've gotten it for him anyways. 

"Well...I was gonna give it back today." he sighed. "I had to find the file and all." 

"Keep the jacket." 

"But what about..." 

"What Dot doesn't know won't hurt her." Matrix said, wrapping a brotherly arm around the boy. "Besides, that was a gift from me to you. No strings attached." 

Enzo nodded, grinning at the big sprite. He really did like that jacket... 

**Pretty long, huh? lol Well, hoped you liked it. Now the next scene was taken out of the latest story, Survival of the Fittest and this is for all you Ross and Bri fans out there. This was supposed to take place before the epilogue, right after Roscoe wins the title in that grueling Iron Man Match. It actually didn't occur to me until after I had started the epilogue and figured I'd save it for the deleted scenes. if I had known how much you all liked the budding romance, I would've kept it in...******

There was quick activity after the match. Roscoe had won, but was in no condition to celebrate. Currently he was being wheeled out on a stretcher. Not taking any chances, the sprites decided to get the heck out of dodge and head for the Super Computer, where they knew the boy would get the best treatment. Kit and Sabrina insisted they ride with the boy, knowing he had no one else that would. 

Roscoe was still groggy, unsure of where he was, but somehow knowing he was safe. Someone to his right was holding his hand and someone on the left of him was saying things were going to be okay. "I don't feel so good." he whimpered, his breath labored and his chest and ribs deleting him. 

"Everything's gonna be okay, Ross." Kit said. 

"Roscoe, I'm so proud of you." Sabrina whispered, his hand in hers. 

"You are?" he asked. 

"But I'll let you right now, that if you _ever _do_ anything _like that again..." 

"Don't be mad." he whispered. "I just wanted to protect you. I didn't wanna see you hurt." 

"You big, basic dummy." she said. Stroking his cheek, she repeated, "Big, sweet, adorable, basic dummy." 

Kit couldn't help but smile at the two. Even in his severe condition, Roscoe was the happiest boy in the Net. His eyes closed, and a huge smile on his lips, he listened to Sabrina soothe and comfort him like no other sprite had ever done. Kit felt like an intruder, but knew if he didn't stick close, Matrix would have his bitmap in a royal sling. 

"Where're we going?" Roscoe asked, eyes still closed. 

"We're taking you to the Super Computer." Kit replied. 

"Yeah?" 

"They're gonna fix you up and make you all better." Sabrina whispered next to his ear. 

"But I'm better already." the boy said, grinning. Sabrina blushed and smiled. 

Kit just shook his head, trying to hide a grin that was trying to escape.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
